Man Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft and False Statements
A shocking fraud case has emerged involving the sponsorship of a child who entered the United States illegally. Felix Coc Choc, a 29-year-old man living in the U.S. unlawfully, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and making false statements in connection with the sponsorship of an unaccompanied alien child (UAC).
Coc Choc submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury. In the application, he falsely claimed to be the child’s brother, J.C.J., and provided J.C.J.’s Guatemalan national identification card and birth certificate to support the claim.
The child, a 16-year-old from Guatemala, entered the United States illegally in January 2023. After the child’s arrival, Coc Choc applied to sponsor him, falsely claiming a family relationship. At first, he denied using another person’s identity. Later, he admitted to impersonating J.C.J. He then submitted a sponsorship application using his real name. ORR denied this application because of the prior fraud.
Coc Choc pleaded guilty to one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. Under U.S. law, the false statement charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and the aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. The sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
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Federal Agencies Investigate Fraud
The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) played an important role. HSI’s Legal Attaché in Guatemala and its Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C., also provided support.
The case is being prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) Trial Attorneys Aaron Jennen and Nicole Lockhart and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana. Samantha Usher, from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas also provided significant assistance.
JTFA is a specialized partnership between the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security. Its mission is to target high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs). The task force investigates and prosecutes the leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of these crimes across the Americas.
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JTFA works with U.S. Attorney offices nationwide and relies on resources from ICE HSI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies. Its efforts have resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests, over 390 convictions, more than 330 significant jail sentences, and substantial forfeitures of assets connected to criminal activity.
Part of Nationwide Anti-Smuggling Effort
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice. The operation marshals federal resources to combat illegal immigration and organized criminal activity. It focuses on cartels and TCOs operating in Mexico, Central America, Canada, the Caribbean, and along maritime borders.
JTFA works with several DOJ divisions, including the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations.
The case highlights the federal government’s efforts to detect fraudulent sponsorship applications, hold offenders like Coc Choc accountable, and protect unaccompanied alien children from exploitation. Agencies are working together to prevent organized criminal networks from abusing immigration processes and putting vulnerable children at risk.