The Polk County Sheriff's Office has announced the arrest of a 44-year-old Mexican national, Edgar Flores Robles, who has been residing in the United States illegally. According to a press release from the Sheriff's Office, Robles was apprehended on Tuesday, and faces four fraud-related felony charges after allegedly using another individual's identity to secure a job at a Winter Haven business.
An investigation was triggered when the real identity owner discovered, on January 26, that his personal information had been employed without his consent at Carpenter Contractors of America. He realized the breach after losing his wallet, which contained his Social Security card and Passport identification in Plant City a few years prior. Robles, who had been earning wages under the victim's stolen identity since March 24, 2024, accrued approximately $27,000 from the company.
The PCSO informed that during a visit to the Carpenter Contractors of America's human resources department, they obtained documentation bearing the victim's name, date of birth, along with copies of the victim's Social Security card and Passport card. "Identity theft can be a very difficult and time-consuming crime for someone to recover from. Had our suspect left the country when he was supposed to, this crime may have never occurred against the victim," Sheriff Grady Judd stated in the officials' recount.
As reported by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Robles initially entered the U.S. on a H2A Visa, valid through April 11 to June 11, 2019. However, he overstayed and was classified as a non-immigrant overstay. His charges, elevated due to his unauthorized status includes: Obtain Property by Fraud (F1), Utter False Instrument (F2), Criminal Use of Personal Information (F2), and, Unlawful Possession of Personal Identification (F3).
