Carlos Bedolla Sanchez, a 42-year-old Mexican national living illegally in Houston, pleaded guilty to using a U.S. citizen's identity to navigate American bureaucracy. He admitted to making a false statement on an application, using a passport fraudulently, and committing aggravated identity theft, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
While attempting to renew an expired passport he had obtained in 2009, Sanchez tried to assume the identity of an individual born in Puerto Rico. He used another person's social security number, date of birth, and place of birth. However, his actions were interrupted on May 19, 2022.
An investigation uncovered years of deception, revealing that since around March 2009, Sanchez had been using a stolen identity to obtain state driver’s licenses and other U.S. identification. He fraudulently certified his passport as proof of citizenship that was never his.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison oversaw the case in court, acknowledging Sanchez's guilty plea, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office. Ellison has set the sentencing date for June 3, where Sanchez faces up to 10 years in prison for the false statement conviction. In addition, a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft will be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
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