BOISE - Mauricio Becerril, 40, a Mexican national formerly living in Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Boise to 36 months in prison and a $200 special assessment for aggravated identity theft and perjury, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Becerill appeared today before Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb of the Eastern District of California. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 20, 2012.
According to the plea agreement, on Sept. 3, 2010, Becerril, using the name “E.Z.R.," filed an application to obtain a permanent United States resident card. In the application, Becerril used the name, date of birth, and social security number of the individual, aware that he was using another person’s identity. At the time that he filed the application, Becerril knew that E.Z.R. was a real person, based upon the fact that he requested a replacement permanent resident card, and had obtained permanent resident cards in E.Z.R.'s name in the past. On Jan. 3, 2011, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved the application, and subsequently provided Becerril with a permanent resident card bearing the name of E.Z.R., but with Becerril’s photograph.
On June 11, 2012, Becerril met with a special agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The agent was investigating whether Becerril obtained a visa by fraud using another individual's identity. When questioned under oath, Becerril swore his true identity was E.Z.R., knowing this statement was false.
“Identity thieves don’t just steal names, they steal peoples’ lives," said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of HSI Seattle, who oversees Idaho investigations. “This is a crime that wreaks havoc on a victim’s finances and reputations. It can take years, if not decades, to undo the damage."
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement Removal Operations.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
