Silvia Maria Garcia-Coyado, 34, last residing in Houma, Louisiana, was hit with federal prison time today after admitting to a scheme of selling forged identification documents tied to real people’s stolen Social Security numbers. The plea, entered on a three-count Indictment, marks the end of a federal probe into underground ID trafficking stretching across the Gulf Coast.
Garcia-Coyado was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to 7 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Upon her release from custody, she will be handed directly to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings, confirming her undocumented status at the time of the crimes.
Court records lay bare the mechanics of the fraud. On or about January 20, 2016, Garcia-Coyado sold a Texas identification card and a Social Security card to a confidential informant for $120. The documents bore the name, photo, and date of birth requested by the informant. The Social Security number, however, belonged to a real person — not the one pictured or named on the card.
The scam didn’t stop there. On May 25, 2016, and again on June 2, 2016, Garcia-Coyado repeated the act — this time selling nearly identical forged documents to an undercover federal agent. Each time, she collected cash in exchange for IDs bearing fabricated identities linked to legitimate government numbers, further exposing vulnerabilities in national identification systems.
The Social Security numbers used in the fraudulent cards were verified to be active and tied to actual U.S. citizens who had no connection to the fake IDs. This detail elevates the crime beyond simple forgery — it’s identity theft with the potential for long-term financial and legal damage to innocent victims.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite commended the joint investigation carried out by the Department of Homeland Security and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Greenfield handled the prosecution, sealing a conviction that underscores federal resolve to crack down on document fraud fueling broader criminal networks.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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