Jose Luis Rodriguez, a citizen of the Dominican Republic unlawfully residing in the United States, pleaded guilty on April 28 before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to charges of passport fraud and identity theft, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address document fraud and protect the integrity of government identification systems. According to court documents, Rodriguez assumed another individual’s identity after that person applied for a Connecticut identification card at the Waterbury Department of Motor Vehicles branch in June 2025. Investigators found that Rodriguez had been using a driver’s license issued under the victim’s name since 2001 and had also created arrest records under this false identity.
Prosecutors said that on March 5, 2020, Rodriguez used the victim’s personal information to apply for and obtain a U.S. passport in Waterbury. He later used this passport for travel and identification purposes until his arrest on December 30, 2025, when he submitted it as proof of citizenship.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of using a passport secured by false statements—which carries up to ten years’ imprisonment—and one count of aggravated identity theft with a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence. Sentencing is scheduled for July 27; Rodriguez remains detained pending sentencing.
The investigation was led by the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service with support from local agencies including the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and Waterbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative aimed at addressing illegal immigration and related crimes through coordinated use of federal resources.
The office overseeing this case employs about 68 assistant U.S. attorneys and manages civil cases as well as criminal prosecutions across Connecticut according to its official website. The office operates under the U.S. Department of Justice according to its official website and has locations in New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport according to its official website. It was established in 1789 according to its official website.