Mexican Man Sentenced in a Federal Court in Louisiana to 6 Years for Identity Theft and Firearms Charges
Mexican Man Sentenced in a Federal Court in Louisiana to 6 Years for Identity Theft and Firearms Charges
Louisiana – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Martin Cortez-Balderas (“Cortez”), age 39, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to Identity Theft and Violations of the Federal Gun Control Act.
According to court documents, law enforcement agents received information in November 2020 that Cortez may be in the country illegally and using the identification of another person. Agents observed Cortez exit his residence and enter his vehicle as they prepared to execute a search warrant on November 9, 2020. A traffic stop was conducted, and a search warrant for the vehicle was obtained. This search resulted in the discovery of a Ruger Model P97DC.45 caliber semi-automatic pistol and four rounds of.45 caliber Winchester ammunition. Cortez was also found to be a convicted felon, making him ineligible to own a firearm or ammunition.
Cortez was convicted in 2004 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas of bringing into the country 24.30 kilograms of marijuana.
During a search of his home, a Louisiana Identification card in the name of another person was discovered, which Cortez claimed to be his own. Cortez was required to attest via electronic signature that he was the person he claimed to be by using that person’s name and date of birth when renewing his card. The electronic renewal was sent to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety in interstate commerce, which violated Louisiana’s Forgery statute.
Cortez was sentenced to 72 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons, followed by three (3) years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey. In addition, he was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment fee. After serving his sentence, Cortez will be turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings.
This case was prosecuted as part of the federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, which is at the heart of the Department of Justice’s efforts to reduce violent crime. PSN is an evidence-based program that has been shown to reduce violent crime. PSN brings together a diverse range of stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime issues in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and collaborates with community-based prevention and reentry programs to achieve long-term crime reductions.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the investigation efforts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Jon Maestri.
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