A 43-year-old man, identified as Dorian Velasquez, has pleaded guilty to charges of naturalization fraud after it was discovered that he obtained United States citizenship unlawfully, amid his conviction as a child molester. Velasquez, originally from Guatemala, was naturalized back in 2015, but in 2019, he pleaded guilty to four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation on a child that took place from 2011 to 2015, as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida reports.
During the naturalization process in 2014, Velasquez lied under penalty of perjury, falsely claiming on his Application for Naturalization that he had never been involved in criminal activities for which he was not arrested at the time of taking the Oath of Allegiance, he affirmed the same untruths. Velasquez's sentencing is set for November 19 with the possibility of facing up to 10 years in prison and an automatic stripping of his U.S. citizenship. The court will take into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant statutory factors before deciding on the sentence.
Heads of various federal offices, including U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, USCIS Miami and Caribbean District Director Brett R. Rinehart, and Garrett Ripa, Field Office Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, jointly announced Velasquez’s plea. The case falls under Operation False Haven, a nationwide initiative aiming to identify and charge child molesters and other serious felons who obtained citizenship through fraudulent means elaborated the same sources.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Shaw is leading the prosecution of Velasquez’s case which showcases the collaborative work of ICE's ERO division in Miami and the commitment of federal authorities to take down those who deceitfully manipulate the system to gain sanctuary in the United States – hiding their nefarious pasts. Interested parties can find further details on the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida website, or for court documents and other case-related information, they can be accessed either on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida's website or through the PACER system under case number 24-cr-20202.
