U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.
A Dominican national living in Methuen was sentenced on Monday for using stolen identities to obtain official identification documents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston.
Delcin Belarminio Soto Baez, also known as Nelso Santos Ramos, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV, to 27 months in prison and one year of supervised release. In July, 2014, Baez pleaded guilty to passport fraud and false representation to the Social Security Administration.
In April 2004, Baez submitted an application for a U.S. passport at the U.S. Post Office in Lawrence, representing himself to be JosJ Torres, an individual born in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and, therefore, a U.S. citizen. Almost eight years later, in January, 2012, Baez submitted an application for a Social Security number replacement card at the Social Security Administration District Office in Lawrence, representing himself to be Hermer Maldonado, a U.S. citizen also born in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, according to a news release.
A subsequent investigation revealed that Baez assumed the identities of the true JosJ Torres and Hermer Maldonado, which he supported with government issued birth certificates and photo identification documents. Baez provided these identities, along with other aliases, to law enforcement officials at various times when arrested on separate and unrelated state narcotics charges. Baez is a citizen of the Dominican Republic with no legal status in the United States.
The prosecution was led by the office of U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz.
Why is this Dominican national not being deported instead being released after serving a prison sentence and being released on 1 year supervised release? Why does he deserve to stay in the US?