Salvadoran national charged with stealing identity of Puerto Rican man

A federal Grand Jury returned a two-count indictment charging Oscar Armando Amaya-Melendez, 32, a citizen of El Salvador, with stealing the identity of a Puerto Rican man to conceal his illegal presence in the United States.

Amaya-Melendez stole the identity of a Puerto Rico resident in order to obtain an Ohio driver’s license. This took place between 2010 and 2018, according to the indictment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad J. Beeson is prosecuting the case following an investigation by United States Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security.

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.

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