A federal jury in Miami has found Vasudevan Pillay, a 68-year-old South African national, guilty of making a false statement on a passport application and aggravated identity theft. The verdict was delivered on October 15.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Pillay entered the United States in 1985 on a six-month tourist visa. After his arrival, he assumed the identity of a U.S. citizen who had died as a toddler many years earlier. Using this stolen identity, Pillay obtained official documents including the victim’s birth certificate, Social Security number, and Florida driver license.
On November 28, 2023, Pillay applied for a U.S. passport under the deceased child’s name.
“For nearly forty years, this defendant lived under a lie,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He stole the identity of a deceased child, defrauded the government, and tried to pass himself off as an American citizen. This conviction restores accountability and reaffirms that the rule of law still matters.”
Pillay could face up to ten years in prison for making a false statement on his passport application and must serve an additional mandatory two-year term for aggravated identity theft. These sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge according to sentencing guidelines and statutory factors.
Following sentencing, Pillay is subject to removal from the United States.
The case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ilana Malkin and Tim Farina are prosecuting.
Further details about this case can be found through court records at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-20260.
