Woman Pleads Guilty To Immigration Document Fraud

WICHITA, KAN. – A woman from Mexico has pleaded guilty to immigration document fraud in a case that made national headlines, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.

Benita Cardona-Gonzalez, 32, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing fraudulently obtained identification documents including a Social Security card and a Texas birth certificate in the name of another woman. Cardona-Gonzalez used the documents to obtain employment and credit.

The case made national headlines in October when a Houston school teacher told the story of how her identity had been stolen. She recounted how she learned that her identity had been used to take out a mortgage loan and even to get medical care for the birth of two children.

Sentencing is set for March 25. Prosecutors and the defendant have agreed to recommend a sentence of 18 months in federal prison with the understanding that Cardona-Gonzalez will be deported after serving her sentence.

Grissom commended the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Social Security Administration, Office Inspector General, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.