Wilver Jose Polanco-Alvarez, Mail Fraud, Texas 2021

EL PASO, TX – Two Dominican Republic nationals are facing serious time behind bars after admitting to a sophisticated scheme to defraud retailers across at least five states. Wilver Jose Polanco-Alvarez, 26, of Miami, and Jose Eduardo Gomez Salas, 25, of New York, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and three counts of aggravated identity theft in federal court before Senior U.S. District Judge David Briones.

The bust originated at the Paso Del Norte International Bridge in El Paso on April 11, 2020, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted the pair. A search of their belongings revealed a cache of electronic devices and, crucially, Gomez’s iPhone contained the personal identification information of numerous victims. Investigators also discovered photos of Polanco posing with fraudulent driver’s licenses from Indiana, Texas, California, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Tennessee, allowing him to assume multiple aliases.

Court documents detail a calculated operation where Polanco and Gomez used stolen personal information and fabricated IDs to purchase high-end electronics – cell phones, laptops, tablets, and watches – at retail stores. Once the devices were secured, Gomez allegedly shipped them to Marcos Andres Briceno-Romero, 28, in New Jersey, identified as the alleged ringleader of the operation. The scheme spanned at least five states, indicating a widespread and organized criminal effort.

Both Polanco and Gomez have been held in federal custody since their arrest in April 2020. They now face up to 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge alone. Adding to their potential sentence, each of the three aggravated identity theft counts carries a mandatory minimum of two years in prison, to be served consecutively. Sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled.

U.S. Attorney Ashley C. Hoff and Special Agent in Charge Erik P. Breitzke of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso field office announced the guilty pleas. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving HSI, the U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, highlighting the importance of interagency cooperation in combating cross-border financial crimes.

The net is still tightening. Jury selection and trial dates remain to be set for three additional co-defendants: Briceno-Romero, Wiktoria Lawika, 21, of New York, and Justin Brito, 20, also of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Valenzuela is prosecuting the case, promising to bring the full weight of federal law down on those involved in this identity theft and fraud ring.

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