Dominican National Sentenced for Passport Fraud

BOSTON – A Dominican national previously charged with passport fraud, pleaded guilty and was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston.

Luis Hidalgo-Jimenez, 45, a Dominican national formerly residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of passport fraud before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel, who sentenced Hidalgo-Jimenez to a period of time served.  Hidalgo-Jimenez was arrested on Nov. 9, 2017, and has been in federal custody since that time.    

On Feb. 20, 2009, Hidalgo-Jimenez submitted an application for a United States passport at a post office in Lawrence using the name and identifying information of a United States citizen.  In support of the passport application, Hidalgo-Jimenez submitted a Connecticut driver’s license with his photograph along with the name and identifying information of another person.  He also submitted a copy of the other person’s birth certificate, which was issued in Puerto Rico.   Federal officials noticed evidence of fraud when reviewing the passport application and supporting documents. When Hidalgo-Jimenez was interviewed by federal law enforcement, he admitted to applying for the passport using the name and identifying information of a United States citizen. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.