LAREDO, Texas – In a shocking case of identity theft, 53-year-old Elizabeth Ann Berbel has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for using a stolen identity for over two decades. Berbel, who also goes by multiple aliases including Ana Elizabeth Gomez-Garcia, was convicted of passport fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Berbel’s crimes began as early as 2001 when she started using the victim’s Social Security number and other identifying information. The investigation revealed that Berbel had been perfecting her identity theft skills for nearly two decades, causing untold damage to the victim’s life and career.
On March 22, 2019, Berbel applied for a passport in Laredo, using the victim’s information to complete the application. This brazen move was just the tip of the iceberg in Berbel’s long history of identity theft. Authorities were able to locate and identify several of Berbel’s biological family members, confirming her true identity and exposing her elaborate web of deception.
During her plea hearing on August 28, 2023, Berbel admitted to including the victim’s information on her passport application. The court also heard testimony from the victim, who described the trauma and negative impact that Berbel’s actions had on their life and career.
Berbel’s punishment is a 30-month term of imprisonment, to be served consecutively for the passport fraud and aggravated identity theft convictions. She will also have to pay $3,083.43 in restitution to the victim.
The investigation was conducted by the Department of State, with assistance from the Social Security Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew prosecuted the case. Berbel will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
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Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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