NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARTIN CORTEZ-BALDERAS (“CORTEZ"), age 39, a citizen of Mexico, was charged on Nov. 12, 2021 in a two-count indictment for Identity Theft and Violations of the Federal Gun Control Act.
According to the indictment, in Count 1, on or about April 3, 2018, CORTEZ, knowingly possessed and used in or affecting interstate commerce, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person, that is, the name and date of birth of another, with the intent to commit an unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of state law, Forgery, to renew a Louisiana state identification card, in violation of Louisiana Revised Statute 14:72. In Count 2, CORTEZ was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, to wit: a felony marijuana conviction.
United States Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of these charges, CORTEZ faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of ten years on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition count. He also faces up to three years on the identity theft count. Also, CORTEZ faces a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years supervised release after imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, as to both counts.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
