A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Erwin Mazariegos, Jr., 33, of Los Angeles, with possessing and using a fraudulently obtained State of Ohio identification card, in the name of another person, in an attempt to obtain a U.S. passport, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Mazariegos knowingly transferred, possessed and used, without lawful authority, the identification of another to make false statements in an application for a U.S. passport. Mazariegos, Jr., attempted to obtain the passport from a Post Office in Warren, Ohio, according to the indictment.
Assistant United States Attorney Karrie D. Howard is prosecuting the case, following an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
If convicted, the court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
