A federal grand jury has indicted Jose Luis Rodriguez, a 46-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic living in Waterbury, Connecticut, on charges of passport fraud and identity theft. The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Brian Wood, Special Agent in Charge at the Diplomatic Security Service’s New York Field Office.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the case began in June 2025 when an individual recently released from prison applied for a Connecticut identification card at the Waterbury Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). During processing, DMV officials discovered that there was already an active driver’s license under the applicant’s name that had been issued in 2001 and renewed several times. An investigation revealed that Rodriguez had obtained and used this license by assuming the victim’s identity.
Authorities allege that on March 5, 2024, Rodriguez used the victim’s personal information—including name, date of birth, and place of birth—to apply for a U.S. passport in Waterbury. He subsequently received the passport and used it for travel and identification purposes.
Rodriguez was arrested on December 29, 2025 after submitting the fraudulent passport to the U.S. Department of State and falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen.
On January 13, 2025, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Rodriguez with one count each of making a false statement in a passport application and using a passport secured by false statement—each carrying up to ten years’ imprisonment—as well as one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive two-year sentence if convicted.
Rodriguez has remained detained since his arrest. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport today and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan emphasized: "An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service with assistance from the Connecticut DMV and Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
