Man Sentenced for Unlawful Conduct, Fraud, and Misuse of Immigration Documents

A man was sentenced this morning after unlawful and fraudulent use of immigration documents, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Ronald A. Rodriguez-Paz, 36, appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell and received time served. He has been detained for 14 months and is now in ICE custody awaiting deportation hearings. Rodriguez is from Honduras and is not a legal resident of the United States.

“Child labor trafficking is absolutely reprehensible and can be the equivalent of modern-day slavery. Ronald Rodriguez-Paz crafted a scheme in which he kept the immigration documents of a child from Honduras to ensure that child would stay with him, work for him, and pay him money he believed the child owed him,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I am grateful for the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Heatherman and Chris Nassar and the agents at Homeland Security Investigations who worked to get justice for this young victim.”

In his plea agreement, Rodriguez-Paz admitted that from July 2019 to December 2019, he knowingly possessed immigration documents of a minor child in order to, without lawful authority, maintain the labor services of that child. Paz sponsored the minor, also from Honduras, to come live with him at his residence in Tulsa. He agreed that he knowingly kept the child’s immigration documents to ensure that the child continued to work and pay him the money he claimed the child owed him. Paz also admitted that from September 2016 to December 2019, he knowingly used and possessed false immigration documents. He admitted to knowingly possessing and using a fraudulently made lawful person resident card with the identification number of another actual individual. The card fraudulently contained his name and photograph.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Heatherman and Christopher J. Nassar are prosecuting the case.