ORLANDO, FL – Manuel Domingo Santana, 41, of Orlando, Florida, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 15 months for his role in a brazen scheme to obtain a U.S. passport using a fabricated document. U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza delivered the sentence today, bringing a close to a case highlighting the lengths some will go to circumvent federal regulations.

Santana pleaded guilty on March 21, 2019, to conspiracy to make and use a false document. Court records reveal Santana teamed up with Erika Cordova to forge a consent form required for a minor’s passport application. The two-parent consent law mandates parental permission for children applying for U.S. passports; Cordova sought to bypass this by fabricating the father’s signature.

Instead of securing legitimate consent from the child’s father, Cordova and Santana allegedly created a fraudulent document *appearing* to bear his signature. The deception didn’t stop there. Santana allegedly recruited an unnamed accomplice to impersonate the father during notarization, ensuring the falsified form received official validation before submission with the passport application. This level of coordination demonstrates a calculated effort to deceive federal authorities.

Cordova also pleaded guilty on March 21, 2019, and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2019. The investigation, led by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), underscores the ongoing battle against travel document fraud.

“The Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is firmly committed to making sure those who commit fraud in an attempt to circumvent the two-parent consent law regarding the issuance of a United States passport for a minor face the consequences for their criminal actions,” stated Frederick R. Stolper, Special Agent-in-Charge of the DSS Miami Field Office. “Additionally, we are committed to protecting children and denying the risk or opportunity for parental abduction, while protecting the rights of both parents.”

The DSS emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation with the DBFTF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida, and international law enforcement partners. Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang prosecuted the case, highlighting the federal government’s commitment to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting national interests. This case serves as a warning: attempts to defraud the system will be met with federal prosecution.

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