San Antonio Man Lied His Way To Citizenship — Judge Gives Time Served As Feds Seek To Strip It

A San Antonio man who admitted he lied to become a U.S. citizen was sentenced Wednesday to time served on the immigration charge — but he’s not going anywhere. Carlos Fabian Velez, 54, remains in federal custody to keep serving a separate 210‑month sentence for distributing child pornography, and prosecutors say his guilty plea puts his citizenship on the chopping block.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, Velez pleaded guilty in July to one count of unlawful procurement of citizenship or naturalization and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jason K. Pulliam. “Obtaining American citizenship is the goal of so many who come to our great country, but we will do all we can to ensure those who commit crimes against children and then lie about it never receive the honor,” U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said.

Prosecutors say Velez falsely answered “No” on his naturalization application when asked if he had ever committed a crime for which he had not been arrested — a sworn statement that, USCIS said, disqualified him because the offenses occurred within five years of his application. USCIS added that its Fraud Detection and National Security directorate helped verify his identity through biometric evidence during the investigation.

Velez’s 210‑month sentence stems from a 2023 case where he pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography; prosecutors said he used peer‑to‑peer file sharing to traffic child sexual abuse material. Details of that sentence and restitution were previously outlined by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

How investigators uncovered the fraud

Federal agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations worked alongside USCIS‑FDNS and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on a document‑and‑benefits fraud task force, USCIS said. Prosecutors tied the broader effort to Project Safe Childhood, the Department of Justice initiative targeting online child exploitation.

Legal implications for citizenship

False statements on naturalization forms can trigger criminal penalties and civil consequences under Legal Information Institute. In court, prosecutors said Velez’s plea makes him subject to denaturalization, which can strip citizenship and open the door to removal proceedings if he is not otherwise a U.S. national.

What’s next locally

Local outlets have tracked the federal updates; KENS5 reported on the sentencing as outlined by prosecutors. For now, Velez continues serving his 210‑month term while the citizenship‑revocation process proceeds.