Romanian National Illegally in the United States Makes Initial Appearance for Identity Theft

LAS VEGAS - A Romanian national, illegally present in the United States, made his initial appearance in court Friday after a grand jury charged him for allegedly using a counterfeit foreign passport and other documents as part of a fraud scheme to steal money from American victims.

"We will not allow fraudsters to hide behind computer screens and stolen credentials," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah. "Law enforcement will continue to track down and prosecute those who compromise the financial security of innocent citizens."

"Identity-based fraud schemes are not harmless paperwork crimes, they are calculated efforts to hide behind false documents, deceive victims and steal their money," said Jonathan Sherwin, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for HSI Las Vegas. "Through the Homeland Security Task Force, HSI Las Vegas and our partners are bringing the full weight of law enforcement to bear against individuals who use counterfeit identities and online scams to target victims in the United States."

According to court documents, on February 26, 2026, Eustatiu Brat, also known as "Bosko Obradovic," allegedly possessed and used a counterfeit Canadian passport and Quebec driver's license. He allegedly used the counterfeit passport as part of a larger scheme to advertise vehicles for sale online and to swindle victims of their money.

Brat is charged with one count of aggravated identity theft. A jury trial is scheduled to begin October 19, 2026 before United States District Judge Richard Boulware If convicted, the statutory penalty is a mandatory two-year period of imprisonment to be served consecutively to any other sentence.

This case was investigated by HSI. The case is being prosecuted by the District of Nevada.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Las Vegas HSTF comprises agents and officers from the FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS-CI, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and Nevada Gaming Control Board. with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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