David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ, 46, a citizen of the Dominican Republic unlawfully residing in the United States, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 50 months of imprisonment for passport fraud and identity theft offenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2025, an individual who had been recently released from prison (the "victim") applied for a Connecticut identification card at the Waterbury branch of the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles ("DMV"). When processing the victim's application, the DMV determined that there was already an active driver's license for the victim that had been issued in 2001 and renewed multiple times. An investigation determined that Rodriguez, who lived in Waterbury, was the unlawful holder of the driver's license and had assumed the victim's identity. Investigators discovered that the victim's identity had two different FBI fingerprint profiles, and that the Waterbury Police Department had arrest records and booking photographs of Rodriguez posing at the victim.

On March 5, 2020, Rodriguez used the name, date of birth, and place of birth of the victim to apply for a U.S. passport in Waterbury. He received the passport and used it for travel and identification purposes.

Rodriguez was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on December 30, 2025, after he submitted the false passport to the U.S. Department of State and falsely represented himself as the victim and as a U.S. citizen. He has been detained since his arrest.

On April 28, 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of using a passport secured by a false statement and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Rodriguez will be removed to the Dominican Republic when he completes his prison term.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.