U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced the arrest and charging of Gendry Amilcar Niz-Niz, a 25-year-old native of Guatemala, for making a false statement. This charge carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew J. Henning and Sasha Mascarenhas are handling the case. According to the criminal complaint, on March 16, 2025, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Niz-Niz was stopped on Main Street in Lockport due to several vehicle and traffic violations. The Lockport Police Department sought assistance from U.S. Border Patrol after Niz-Niz presented a foreign identification document.
Niz-Niz showed an ID card purportedly from the Republic of Guatemala Department of Transportation with the name Juan Martinez-Chavez. When questioned by a U.S. Border Patrol agent about his identity and citizenship, he identified himself as “Juan Martinez.” The photo on the ID matched him; however, an immigration check using the provided name and birth date revealed no legal entry documentation into the United States.
Niz-Niz admitted to entering the country illegally and claimed it was his first encounter with immigration authorities before being taken into custody. Further investigation revealed that he had been previously arrested under his real name in Tucson, Arizona, in November 2021.
The investigation involved collaboration between the Lockport Police Department, led by Chief Steven Abbott, and U.S. Border Patrol under Patrol Agent-in-Charge Martin B. Coombs.
It is important to note that charges are accusations only; Niz-Niz is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
