GAINESVILLE, Ga. — A federal grand jury added two counts of aggravated identity theft to an indictment against Derly Alvarez-Rodriguez, a 41-year-old Mexican national living in Gainesville.
Alvarez-Rodriguez was previously indicted on 18 federal counts involving the production and sale of counterfeit Social Security cards bearing real victims’ information and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, an investigation revealed a Mexican national allegedly sold counterfeit Social Security cards to an undercover agent between March and August of this year.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General determined that while the physical cards were counterfeit, the Social Security numbers printed on them were legitimate and belonged to real individuals.
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Undercover agents initially purchased three counterfeit Social Security cards from Alvarez-Rodriguez for $750 each between March 11 and May 19, according to federal prosecutors.
Following those transactions, Alvarez-Rodriguez allegedly sent the agent birth dates corresponding to the individuals listed on the cards.
When Alvarez-Rodriguez arrived at an Aug. 5 meeting to sell two more cards, that’s when federal agents arrested him and seized four more counterfeit cards.
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Agents found a semi-automatic pistol during a subsequent federal search of Alvarez-Rodriguez’s residence.
Federal law prohibits noncitizens unlawfully present in the U.S. from possessing firearms.
“Social Security fraud and identity theft strike at the heart of public trust and economic security,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. “This alien’s alleged conduct not only jeopardized the integrity of our nation’s borders, but it also exposed unwitting victims to significant financial and legal issues stemming from the unauthorized use of their personal information.”
The U.S. attorney said his office remained committed to protecting victims.
Ellen Johnson, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, highlighted the security risks associated with fraudulent identification documents.
“Counterfeit identification documents, including Social Security cards, are instruments of fraud that can upend victims’ lives, fuel criminal activity and erode the integrity of our immigration, employment and financial systems,” Johnson said. “HSI will continue working alongside our partners to disrupt fraud schemes designed to profit from stolen identities.”
A federal grand jury returned the initial 18-count indictment on Sept. 1. The charges included seven counts of Social Security fraud, seven counts of production of false identification documents, three counts of transfer of false identification documents and one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
The two additional counts of aggravated identity theft added Wednesday each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison.
Following his initial arrest on a criminal complaint, a federal magistrate judge denied the government’s motion to detain Alvarez-Rodriguez.
Prosecutors immediately filed an emergency motion to stay and revoke the release order, citing a serious risk of flight.
U.S. District Judge Richard W. Story granted the government’s motion and ordered Alvarez-Rodriguez detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bond.
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