Venezuelan National Sentenced For Identity Theft And Passport Fraud

BOSTON – A Venezuelan national was sentenced in federal court in Boston today for identity theft and passport fraud.

Jose Antonio Rojas Marchan, 54, a Venezuelan national who resided in Lawrence until his arrest in September, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to two years and one day in prison and three years of supervised release. Rojas Marchan will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. In March 2019, Rojas Marchan pleaded guilty to one count of passport fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

In November 2014, Rojas Marchan applied for a U.S. passport at a Lawrence Post Office purporting to be a U.S. citizen. On the application, he represented that the name, Social Security number, and date of birth of a Puerto Rican man were his, even though he knew they belonged to someone else. He supported the application with a Puerto Rican birth certificate and Massachusetts driver’s license in the U.S. citizen’s name. His application was flagged for additional review due to indicators of fraud and was ultimately denied. Rojas Marchan used the victim’s identity despite knowing it belonged to another real person. According to court documents, Rojas Marchan also attempted to get the victim removed from the victim’s health insurance plan so that Rojas Marchan could receive medical care under the same identity.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and William B. Gannon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna Nuzum of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.