Convicted Child Rapist Indicted on Naturalization and Passport Fraud Charges

RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a naturalized citizen of the U.S., born in Mexico, with naturalization and passport fraud.

According to the indictment, J. Refugio Gomez-Juarez, age 51, knowingly failed to disclose during his naturalization proceedings that he had committed the crime of second degree forcible rape of a mentally disabled child.

According to the indictment, Gomez-Juarez was thereafter naturalized as a United States citizen and fraudulently obtained multiple United States passports.

Gomez-Juarez is charged in an 11-count indictment with naturalization and passport fraud.  If convicted, he faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of 25 years per count, a maximum fine of $250,000 per count, a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and the revocation of his citizenship.

Robert J. Higdon, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven. Operation False Haven is an ongoing initiative to identify and prosecute felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.

A copy of this press release is located on our website. 

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.