The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced the indictment of Jose Arturo Perez Ramirez, a 33-year-old Mexican citizen. He faces charges of making a false claim to U.S. citizenship, providing a false statement in a passport application, and aggravated identity theft.
Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus stated that the indictment accuses Perez Ramirez of applying for a U.S. passport using another person's name, date of birth, place of birth, and social security number to falsely claim U.S. citizenship. It is also alleged that he used multiple forms of identification belonging to another person, including a state-issued ID card and birth certificate.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DOS-DSS) and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is handling the prosecution.
Under federal law, the maximum penalty for these offenses includes up to 10 years in prison, supervised release following imprisonment, and fines. Sentencing will be determined by a judge after considering federal sentencing statutes and guidelines.
It is important to note that indictments are merely allegations, and all individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
