An 18-year-old Honduran citizen, Elger Fabricio Cotto-Navarro, has admitted to making false statements in a juvenile immigration case. This was announced by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Cotto-Navarro attempted to enter the United States near Roma on February 2, claiming he was an unaccompanied minor.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is responsible for providing care for unaccompanied alien children who lack lawful immigration status and have no parent or legal guardian in the country capable of providing care and custody. Consequently, Cotto-Navarro was placed in a facility designated for housing and caring for such children.
Cotto-Navarro initially identified himself as a minor with a birth date of May 2007 to his case manager. However, an investigation revealed that he was actually an adult posing as a minor. Despite denying the allegations and submitting a written statement asserting his juvenile status, he later acknowledged being born in 2006 and admitted to providing false information about his age.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. will impose sentencing on June 17, where Cotto-Navarro faces up to five years in federal prison and a potential maximum fine of $250,000. He will remain in custody until the hearing.
The DHHS Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Marian is prosecuting the case.