A man from Mexico, Valentin Munoz-Lopez, has been sentenced to over five months in federal prison for document fraud. The 35-year-old resident of Postville, Iowa, was convicted after pleading guilty on November 1, 2024, to unlawful use of an identification document and misuse of a social security number.
Munoz-Lopez admitted during his plea that he used a fraudulent Social Security card with an alias name to prove his authorization to work in the United States. This occurred when he completed employment and tax forms in February 2024 at a business located in Lime Springs, Iowa. The Social Security number on the card was assigned to another individual whose name appeared on the card. Munoz-Lopez was not authorized to work in the United States as he was unlawfully present in the country. He also used the fraudulent card when applying for jobs at businesses in Lime Springs and Cresco, Iowa, between June 2020 and May 2022.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Munoz-Lopez in Cedar Rapids to 161 days of imprisonment followed by a two-year term of supervised release. It is noted that there is no parole within the federal system.
Munoz-Lopez remains under custody by the United States Marshal until his transfer to immigration officials can be arranged.
The case against Munoz-Lopez was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations.