DALLAS - A Mexican national living illegally in the United States was convicted by a federal jury for stealing the identity of a deceased American infant and using it for more than four decades to commit drug crimes and obtain government documents, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Decades-long identity fraud conviction
Vidal Blanco-Blas, 62, was found guilty Oct. 16 of making false statements in the application and use of a U.S. passport and aggravated identity theft. The verdict came after a three-day trial and about two hours of jury deliberation.
The backstory:
According to court evidence, Blanco-Blas entered the U.S. more than 40 years ago using the identity of Julio Cesar Torres, an American infant who died in Mexico at approximately three months old.
Blanco-Blas used the deceased infant's name to illegally obtain a Social Security number, a Texas driver’s license, a voter registration card, and a U.S. passport. He also compiled a significant U.S. criminal history under the stolen identity, including federal prison sentences of 84 months, 120 months, and 21 months for multiple felony drug offenses involving marijuana distribution.
Witnesses testified that Blanco-Blas maintained the lie in his personal life, instructing his own daughter to refer to him in public as her "uncle," Julio Cesar Torres.
The scheme unraveled on April 11, 2023, when Blanco-Blas submitted an application in Greenville, Texas, to renew his U.S. passport. Using advanced investigative techniques, the U.S. Department of State uncovered the passport fraud and identified Blanco-Blas.
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What they're saying:
"Exploiting the identity of a deceased American infant to sneak into the U.S. and conceal a decades-long life of crime and fraud is an appalling act that undermines the integrity of our immigration system," U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a statement.
Special Agent in Charge Ryan Pack of the Diplomatic Security Service’s Houston Field Office said agents will continue to aggressively pursue those attempting to compromise national security documents.
What's next:
Blanco-Blas faces up to 12 years in federal prison when he is sentenced March 22, 2027, by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas.