Dominican Republic Man Pleads Guilty in Passport CaseU.S. Department of JusticeBoston, MA July 25, 2007 Michael J. Sullivan United States Attorney District of Massachusetts Illegal Alien Guilty Of Making False Statements In An Application For U.S. Passport An illegal alien formerly a resident of Lynn, MA, was convicted yesterday in federal court of making false statements in an application for U.S. passport, misrepresentation of a social security number and falsely representing himself as a U.S. citizen. United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; James Ennis, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security Service in New England; Christopher Tremann, Resident Agent in Charge of the Resident Office of Diplomatic Security Service in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Bruce M. Foucart, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New England; and Jeff Paula, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, announced today that PEDRO JOSE VIDAL-REYES, a/k/a PEDRO LUIS RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a PEDRO LUIS RODRIGUEZ TRINIDAD (“VIDAL-REYES”), age 42, formerly of 163 Central Avenue, Lynn, MA, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph L. Tauro to three of the four counts in a superseding indictment charging him with misrepresentation of a social security account number, false representation of United States citizenship, and making false statements in an application for a U.S. Passport. Count Four, which charges VIDAL-REYES with aggravated identity theft, is scheduled for trial on August 27, 2007. At the plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that, had the case proceeded to trial, the evidence would have proven that VIDAL-REYES is an illegal alien, whose country of citizenship is the Dominican Republic. The evidence would also have shown that on or about On June 8, 1998, using the false identity of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez,” VIDAL-REYES was arrested by the Puerto Rico Police Department and released into the custody of Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS), after admitting to entering the United States illegally and to being a citizen of the Dominican Republic. Subsequently, INS allowed VIDAL-REYES to voluntarily return to the Dominican Republic in lieu of an Immigration hearing. On February 4, 2000, an individual identifying himself as Pedro Luis Rodriguez executed an application for a United States passport (known as a “DSP-11") at the United States Post Office in Lynn, MA. For proof of identity and citizenship, the individual, later identified as VIDAL-REYES, presented a Massachusetts Driver’s License in the name of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez” and a Puerto Rican Birth Certificate [# D6764711], issued on November 16, 1998, in the name of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez Trinidad.” On the DSP-11 application, VIDAL-REYES provided a false Social Security Account Number. The DSP-11 application bore the photograph of VIDAL-REYES, and identified VIDAL-REYES as “Pedro Luis Rodriguez.” VIDAL-REYES signed the DSP-11 application under penalty of perjury and swore to the veracity of the information contained in the application. Based on this and other information, VIDAL-REYES received a valid U.S. passport under the identity of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez.” On December 21, 2000, VIDAL-REYES [still using the identity of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez”] was arrested by the Lynn Police Department for a drug offense, namely, possession with intent to distribute Class A controlled substance. Upon his arrest, he was fingerprinted and the ten-print fingerprint card was forwarded to the FBI for comparison. The prints came back belonging to Pedro Jose Vidal-Reyes, with a date of birth of 10/19/64. Whereupon, the Lynn Police Department surrendered the passport in VIDAL-REYES’ possession to the Diplomatic Security Service, where the passport was destroyed. On July 15, 2002, an individual identifying himself as Pedro Luis Rodriguez again executed a DSP-11 application and a DS-64 (“Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport”) for a United States passport at the United States Post Office in Lynn, MA. On the DS-64, this individual had stated that his place of birth was San Juan, Puerto Rico, and that his U.S. passport had been “destroyed by fire.” For proof of identity and citizenship, the individual, later identified as VIDAL-REYES, presented a Massachusetts Driver’s License in the name of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez” and a Puerto Rican Birth Certificate [# D1389828], issued on July 9, 2002, in the name of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez Trinidad.” On the DSP-11 application, VIDAL-REYES again provided a false Social Security Account Number, a false birth date, and falsely stated that his place of birth was San Juan, Puerto Rico. The DSP-11 application bore the photograph of VIDAL-REYES, and identified VIDAL-REYES as “Pedro Luis Rodriguez.” VIDAL-REYES again signed the DSP-11 application under penalty of perjury and swore to the veracity of the information contained in the application. Based on this and other information, VIDAL-REYES received a valid U.S. passport under the identity of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez.” On January 27, 2005, VIDAL-REYES [using the name “Pedro Luis Rodriguez”] was convicted in Essex Superior Court of possession with intent to distribute Class A controlled substance, and was sentenced to 4 years and a day of imprisonment. On June 1, 2006, DSS agents interviewed VIDAL-REYES [who was still using the assumed identity of Pedro Luis Rodriguez] at the Massachusetts State Correctional Facility in Shirley, MA. VIDAL-REYES admitted at that time that he had executed the aforementioned passport applications in the name of “Pedro Luis Rodriguez,” and that his signature as well as his photograph were depicted on the applications. He also admitted that his true name is “Pedro Jose Vidal-Reyes,” and that he is a citizen of the Dominican Republic. U.S. District Judge Tauro scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2007. VIDAL-REYES faces a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment on Count One, a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment on Count Two; a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on Count Three; to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Upon completion of any prison sentence imposed VIDAL-REYES also faces deportation to his native Dominican Republic. If convicted of the aggravated identity charges, VIDAL-REYES faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New England, and the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette E.M. Leoney of Sullivan’s Major Crimes Unit. CONTACT: Darby Holladay Christina DiIorio-Sterling |
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