Dominican National Sentenced for Passport Fraud

A Dominican national illegally residing in the United States using false identities was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for passport fraud.

Alejandro Valera, 40, a Dominican national formerly residing in Mattapan, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to nine months in prison. Valera will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In August 2018, Valera pleaded guilty to knowingly making false statements in applying for a U.S. Passport.

 On Nov. 10, 2011, Valera, using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico, submitted a fraudulent application in which he also falsely stated that he had never used any other names or had ever previously applied for a passport. Valera had previously unsuccessfully applied for a passport in 2002 using the same false identity. According to court records, over the last 20 years, Valera has been convicted of numerous crimes in state court in Massachusetts under various false identities.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office; and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Merritt of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.