Carlos Bedolla Sanchez, a 42-year-old Mexican national, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for identity theft and passport fraud. Sanchez pleaded guilty to using a stolen identity to obtain U.S. identification documents, including a passport. He was sentenced to 16 months for passport fraud and 24 months for aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison ordered the sentences to be served consecutively. Sanchez has been living in Houston illegally, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
During sentencing, Judge Ellison noted the seriousness of Sanchez’s offenses and that previous penalties had not changed his behavior. Sanchez was convicted of two felony drug charges related to stolen identity. He also received a concurrent 12-month sentence for violating his supervised release. Sanchez is expected to face removal proceedings after completing his sentence. The case stems from a May 19, 2022 incident, when Sanchez attempted to renew a U.S. passport originally issued in 2009 using another person’s information from Puerto Rico without permission, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
An investigation by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service found that Sanchez used a victim’s name, Social Security number, and birth information since March 2009 to obtain U.S. documents, including driver’s licenses and a passport. Sanchez pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a passport application and aggravated identity theft, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice program targeting illegal immigration, cartels, and related crimes. Sanchez will remain detained until he is transferred to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Franklyn.
