Jose Luis Rodriguez, a 46-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic unlawfully residing in the United States, was sentenced on July 24 by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 50 months of imprisonment for passport fraud and identity theft offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the case began in June 2025 when an individual recently released from prison applied for a Connecticut identification card at the Waterbury branch of the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles. The DMV found that there was already an active driver’s license issued in 2001 under the victim’s name, which had been renewed multiple times. An investigation determined that Rodriguez, who lived in Waterbury, was unlawfully holding this driver’s license and had assumed the victim’s identity. Investigators discovered two different FBI fingerprint profiles associated with the victim’s identity and arrest records from Waterbury Police Department showing booking photographs of Rodriguez posing as the victim.
On March 5, 2020, Rodriguez used the name, date of birth, and place of birth belonging to the victim to apply for a U.S. passport in Waterbury. He received this passport and used it for travel and identification purposes.
Rodriguez was arrested on December 30, 2025, after submitting a false passport application to the U.S. Department of State while falsely representing himself as both a U.S. citizen and as the victim. He has remained detained since his arrest.
On April 28, 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count each of using a passport secured by false statement and aggravated identity theft. Upon completion of his prison term, he will be removed to the Dominican Republic.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service with assistance from both the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and Waterbury Police Department; Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen prosecuted this case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative utilizing resources from across agencies within the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, which operates under the Department of Justice serving all Connecticut residents through federal crime prosecution, civil case handling on behalf of government interests within its district boundaries, employing approximately 68 assistant attorneys alongside support staff members.