Honduran Man Sentenced for Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain Employment

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana:

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that OLIVER MARTINEZ-CASTRO, age 19, a native of Honduras, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to illegally using a Social Security number in order to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).

United States District Court Judge Wendy B. Vitter sentenced MARTINEZ-CASTRO to time served (2 months of imprisonment), and a $100 special assessment fee. The defendant will be surrendered to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.

According to court documents, on June 14, 2019, MARTINEZ-CASTRO submitted a fraudulent Form I-9 application in order to obtain employment with a local company. He attested on the form that he was someone else and that he was a United States citizen. He used a fraudulent Social Security card in the name of the other person which also contained that person’s actual Social Security number as verification. In order to finalize employment with that company, he was required to take a safety course at another location on June 18, 2019. He once again provided the fraudulent Social Security card as proof of his identity, but an employee suspected the card was fraudulent and alerted Customs and Border Protection. Subsequent record checks confirmed his real identity as well as the fact that he was in the country illegally.

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of United States Customs and Border Protection and Social Security Administration agents in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Peter G. Strasser announced that OLIVER MARTINEZ-CASTRO, age 19, a native of Honduras, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to illegally using a Social Security number in order to obtain employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).

United States District Court Judge Wendy B. Vitter sentenced MARTINEZ-CASTRO to time served (2 months of imprisonment), and a $100 special assessment fee. The defendant will be surrendered to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.

According to court documents, on June 14, 2019, MARTINEZ-CASTRO submitted a fraudulent Form I-9 application in order to obtain employment with a local company. He attested on the form that he was someone else and that he was a United States citizen. He used a fraudulent Social Security card in the name of the other person which also contained that person’s actual Social Security number as verification. In order to finalize employment with that company, he was required to take a safety course at another location on June 18, 2019. He once again provided the fraudulent Social Security card as proof of his identity, but an employee suspected the card was fraudulent and alerted Customs and Border Protection. Subsequent record checks confirmed his real identity as well as the fact that he was in the country illegally.

U.S. Attorney Strasser praised the work of United States Customs and Border Protection and Social Security Administration agents in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri is in charge of the prosecution.