Tampa, Florida – A federal indictment has been returned against Jose Manuel Ortiz Perdomo, charging him with aggravated identity theft and making a false statement on a passport application. Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announced the charges. If found guilty, Ortiz Perdomo could face a minimum of 2 years and up to 12 years in federal prison.
Court records indicate that on October 18, 2024, Ortiz Perdomo applied for a passport using another person's name. Before this application, he had obtained identification documents in the victim's name. During the passport application process, Ortiz Perdomo impersonated the victim and presented fraudulent identification as his own.
It is important to note that an indictment is only a formal charge of alleged violations of federal criminal law. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) conducted the investigation for this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Leath is handling the prosecution.