Immigration identity theft, Mexican man accused of stealing US citizen’s legal name
A federal judge has granted a delay in court proceedings for a Mexican man accused of an identity theft scheme in which he changed a U.S. citizen’s legal name to his own.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren set a May 5 trial date in the case of Ramon Perez-Rivera and his wife, Antonia Vargas-Ortega. The couple had sought to stall their scheduled Feb. 17 trial.
Their lawyers say they need more time to review the evidence and evaluate how to proceed.
Prosecutors allege Perez-Rivera convinced a court to change the name of the ID theft victim to his own. He is accused of then using that identity to obtain food stamps and Medicaid, register to vote and obtain a U.S. passport and a driver’s license.
