Liberty County woman sentenced for passport-related federal violations

Beaumont, Texas - A Mexican national illegally living in Dayton has been sentenced to prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.

Margarita Torres Barajas, 50, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a passport application and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone on March 4, 2024.

According to information presented in court, on October 11, 2021, Barajas entered the U.S. Post Office in Beaumont to apply for a U.S. passport. Barajas claimed to be a citizen of the United States while in fact, she was a citizen of Mexico. Barajas used a social security card and Puerto Rican birth certificate she found in New York City to apply for the passport. The social security card and birth certificate belonged to a U.S. citizen. Barajas also used these items to apply for a state identification card from another state.

This case was investigated by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Department and U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.

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