Worcester Man Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Illegal Reentry

BOSTON - A Worcester man pleaded guilty yesterday to using a stolen identity to apply for a United States passport after he had unlawfully reentered the United States following deportation.

Rohan Andrew Brown, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and one count of passport fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2024.

Brown, a native of Jamaica, was previously deported in August 2002 after a conviction in Connecticut for unlawful restraint in the first degree. Sometime after his removal, Brown unlawfully reentered the United States. In 2012, Brown unlawfully obtained a passport by using the identity of a United States Citizen. Over the following years, Brown continued to use that stolen identity to obtain drivers licenses in California and Ohio. In March 2022 and May 2023, Brown attempted to renew the passport using the same fraudulent identity.

The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of passport fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Matthew O'Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.