A Chinese national, Jingui Lin, was sentenced on February 11, 2026, for possessing a fraudulent passport. The sentencing took place in New Orleans before U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo. Lin had previously pleaded guilty to the charge under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1546(a). According to an announcement from United States Attorney David I. Courcelle, Lin received a sentence equal to the time he had already served since his detention began on October 28, 2025. He will remain in immigration custody pending deportation.
Court documents show that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers encountered Lin on October 28, 2025. Officers determined that he was present in the United States without inspection and eligible for immigration custody. During this process, officers found a fraudulent Chinese passport in his possession containing his photograph but another person's name. The document also included a fake U.S. visa and CBP admission stamp. Authorities confirmed that Lin did not have valid immigration documents permitting him to enter or stay in the country legally.
The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, which aims to use Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime. This initiative coordinates efforts from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted the investigation into this case. Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting.
