ILLEGAL ALIEN PLEADS GUILTY
TO HOUSING ASSISTANCE FRAUD

WICHITA, KAN. – A woman living illegally in the United States for 12 years has pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving more than $35,000 in government housing assistance and to document fraud, United States Attorney for Kansas Eric Melgren announced Tuesday. Illegal aliens are banned by federal law from receiving federal housing assistance.

The woman, Martha Garcia-Guerrero, 39, originally from Durango, Mexico, entered the guilty pleas here Monday before U.S. District J. Thomas Marten. She faces a maximum sentence of 10 years on each count, deportation, and a lifetime ban from the United States. The case is set for sentencing Feb. 20.

The case came to attention of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General when the Section 8 housing assistance program administered by the City of Wichita reported that Garcia-Guerrero had used multiple Social Security numbers to maintain her benefits, which she first started to receive in 1999. Most recently, she used a false Social Security number on an employment verification form.

“When federal agents went to Ms. Garcia-Guerrero’s Wichita residence, she admitted she was unlawfully in the United States and was in possession of several false Social Security cards and Resident Alien cards, some of which were used to defraud HUD,” Melgren said.

Melgren said the woman received more than $35,000 in fraudulent benefits from 1999 to 2006. The government is seeking restitution.

Court records indicate that Garcia-Guerrero first entered the United States, unlawfully, in 1994 and has lived and worked in the Wichita area most of the time since then. She was indicted in the case Oct. 17 on 10 counts of fraud and aggravated identify theft in connection with her fraudulent housing benefits claim and her fraudulent possession of United States identity documents.

Melgren praised HUD’s Office of Inspector General, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General for their investigation of the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for his prosecution.

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