A Fort Worth man has been sentenced to over eight years in federal prison for attempting to apply for two passports using stolen identities. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Nancy E. Larson.
Phillip Sean Anthony, 42, was indicted in February 2024 and pleaded guilty in November to charges of making a false statement in an application for a passport and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Ada Brown sentenced him to 100 months in federal prison.
Court documents reveal that Anthony first attempted to obtain a United States Passport on August 16, 2023, using a stolen birth certificate and debit card. After failing to receive the passport, he applied again on January 2, 2024, using another set of stolen identity documents including a driver's license, birth certificate, and debit card. A search of Anthony’s residence uncovered multiple birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and credit and debit cards under various names linked to his fraudulent applications.
During sentencing, evidence was presented showing Anthony's previous conviction for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft, which resulted in an earlier sentence of 84 months in federal prison. He had evaded capture by fleeing to California with a passport obtained under another false identity. At the time of his recent offenses in 2023 and 2024, Anthony was also under indictment in Dallas County, Texas for sexual assault of a child.
Judge Ada Brown characterized Anthony as a “prolific criminal mastermind” leading a “life of con.” The investigation was carried out by the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service with Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan P. Niedermair prosecuting the case.
