Jamaican National Residing in New York Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud Offenses

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NEVILLE S. NICHOLSON, 60, formerly of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to passport fraud offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2014, Nicholson submitted an application for a U.S. passport, in the name of another individual, at the Ferguson Library in Stamford, Connecticut.  With his application, Nicholson provided the passport acceptance agent with a false birth certificate, a fraudulent New York State driver’s license, and his photograph for inclusion in the passport.  Nicholson then signed under oath claiming to be the other individual.  The U.S. Department of State subsequently issued a passport to Nicholson.

Nicholson used the fraudulent passport to travel between New York and Jamaica in 2014 and 2016.

Nicholson pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in a passport application, and two counts of using a passport secured by false statement.  Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on January 24, 2019.

Nicholson has been detained since his arrest on related New York state charges on September 1, 2017.

This case has been investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the New York City Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.