Man Charged With Making False Statements

A grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Cleven Thomas, aka Cleveland Thomas, age 69, with one count of making false statements in application for a passport and one count of making false statements to a federal agency, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment charges that on or about January 28, 2013, Thomas knowingly and willfully made false statements on a passport application, including his failure to disclose his use of multiple birth dates and Social Security Account Numbers, his prior marriage, and his prior divorce.

The indictment also alleges that on or about May 30, 2013, Thomas made a material false statement to special agents of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security in that he claimed his passport application was true and accurate.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Tripi, following investigation by agents of the United States Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security.     

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.