Native of Guatemala arrested, charged with making a false statement

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Gendry Amilcar Niz-Niz, 25, a native of Guatemala, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew J. Henning and Sasha Mascarenhas, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on March 16, 2025, Niz-Niz was pulled over on Main Street in the City of Lockport for numerous vehicle and traffic violations. The Lockport Police Department requested assistance from U.S. Border Patrol personnel after  Niz-Niz provided a foreign identification document. He presented an identification card appearing to have originated from the Republic of Guatemala Department of Transportation, bearing the name Juan Martinez-Chavez. When asked his name and country of citizenship by a U.S. Border Patrol agent, Niz-Niz responded “Juan Martinez.” The photo on the identification card matched the defendant. An immigration check utilizing the name and date of birth listed on the identification card did not show any documentation of a legal entry into the United States. In addition, Niz-Niz admitted to entering the U.S. illegally and stated that this was the first time he had been encountered or arrested by immigration authorities. Niz-Niz was then taken into custody. Further investigation determined that Niz-Niz had previously been arrested under the name Gendry Amilcar Niz-Niz in Tucson, Arizona in November 2021.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott and U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge Martin B. Coombs.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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