United States of America v. Jose Reyes-Acosta

Syracuse, New York criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Fraud Offenses and Illegal Re-entry

Salvadoran Citizen Sentenced for Fraud Offenses and Illegal Re-entry

Jose Reyes-Acosta, age 49, of El Salvador, was charged with illegally reentering the United States and fraudulently using the identifying information of a U.S. citizen to both obtain a U.S. passport and attempt to obtain a New York state identification card.



Reyes-Acosta admitted to illegally re-entering the U.S. after a prior deportation and, after his entry, purchasing stolen identifying documents that belonged to a U.S. citizen. Reyes-Acosta then used those documents in Massachusetts to fraudulently obtain a U.S. passport and a Massachusetts REAL ID. In 2023, Reyes-Acosta again used the documents to apply for a New York state identification card but was detected by law enforcement before the card was issued.



Charges based on Reyes-Acosta's Massachusetts conduct were indicted in the District of Massachusetts and later transferred to the Northern District of New York. Reyes-Acosta was sentenced to serve 39 months imprisonment and a $2,000.00 fine on five counts, including Illegal Re-Entry and Aggravated Identity Theft, which were charged in New York.



The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ICE-ERO, and the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, investigated the case with the help of the New York Department of Motor Vehicles- Division of Field Investigation, and the Utica Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case.