A federal grand jury indicted Miguel Dario Bautista Jimenez, a 41-year-old resident of New Jersey, on April 20 for unlawfully obtaining United States citizenship and fraudulently securing a U.S. passport, according to an April 16 announcement by U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address identity-related crimes that can affect the integrity of immigration and travel documents. The charges allege that Bautista Jimenez used false information to gain legal status in the United States after previously being removed from the country.
According to court documents, Bautista Jimenez is originally from the Dominican Republic and was deported in or around 2013 following a conviction in New York for criminal sale of a controlled substance. Authorities say he later re-entered the United States under a false identity after partially mutilating his fingerprints, then used this new identity to obtain naturalization documents and a U.S. passport.
Each charge—unlawful procurement of naturalization and passport fraud—carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and fines up to $250,000 or twice any financial gain or loss resulting from the offense. Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations in New Jersey, along with agents from the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General (New York Field Division) and the Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security (New York Field Office), were credited with investigating this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Chenoweth from the Cybercrime Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Priscilla Gabela from the General Crimes Unit are representing the government in Newark. Officials remind that “the charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey handles both federal prosecutions and civil cases throughout New Jersey as part of its role within the Department of Justice; it coordinates law enforcement activities across offices located in Newark, Trenton, and Camden; staffs about 170 attorneys and support personnel; advances community safety through law enforcement coordination; traces its establishment back to 1789; has alumni who include federal judges as well as senators; prosecutes crimes such as terrorism or public corruption while working on crime prevention programs statewide.
