A Peruvian national is facing charges of immigration fraud after allegedly using a U.S. citizen’s identity and Social Security number to obtain a commercial driver’s license and other identification documents.
On Aug. 15, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced that Flor Consuelo Del Carmen Caballero Bernabe, 55, had been arrested and charged with multiple immigration fraud offenses.
Prosecutors said Caballero Bernabe arrived in the United States in 2000 on a non-immigrant visa and “began using the identity and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico to reside, work and maintain a commercial driver’s license in Connecticut.”
In addition, officials said Caballero Bernabe used the fraudulent identity to apply for a U.S. passport in 2005 – renewing it in 2015 and again in 2021 – and used it to travel internationally.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, Caballero Bernabe allegedly used the fraudulently obtained CDL to “operate commercial motor vehicles for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-regulated entities” and made false statements on FMCSA-administered medical examination forms in order to maintain the license.
An investigation was launched after the person whose identity Caballero Bernabe had stolen applied for Social Security Disability benefits in 2022. At that time, the individual was informed that someone in Connecticut had been earning income under that Social Security number.
Prosecutors said that during the immigration fraud investigation, Caballero Bernabe made “multiple false statements to federal agents investigating this matter.”
The complaint charges Caballero Bernabe with passport application fraud, misuse of a passport, making a false claim of U.S. citizenship, misuse of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft and making false statements. If convicted, the maximum sentence for each charge ranges from two to 10 years.
The investigation and prosecution are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that “marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” LL
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