Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Immigration Fraud for Using and Possessing a Counterfeit Document to Obtain Employment

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Edgar Diaz, age 47, pled guilty on August 12, 2026, to one count of immigration fraud. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Buffalo Acting Field Office Director Philip Rhoney made the announcement.

Diaz is a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States. In June 2019, while pending an immigration proceeding, Diaz was allowed to participate in the Enforcement and Removal Operations Custody Management Division's Alternative to Detention Program ("ATD"), in lieu of being held in immigration custody. As part of the ATD, Diaz wore an ankle bracelet that allowed him to be tracked using GPS equipment. On June 7, 2019, Diaz cut the ankle bracelet and remained a fugitive until he was arrested in Virginia in May 2026.

As part of his plea, Diaz admitted that on January 28, 2019, he used and possessed a counterfeit permanent resident card bearing his name and photograph but a United States Citizenship and Immigration Services number that had not been assigned to him to obtain employment at a farm in Marietta, New York.

First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated, "The Trump administration's commitment to securing the homeland remains a top priority. This defendant has been a fugitive for nearly seven years, and now that the President has restored law and order in our country, the dedicated special agents at Homeland Security Investigations were able to track down Diaz and bring him to justice. With this plea, he will serve a term of imprisonment and then be subject to deportation."

ICE ERO Buffalo Acting Field Office Director Philip Rhoney said, "When individuals abscond from supervision and use counterfeit documents to secure employment, they undermine the lawful immigration process and the security it is designed to protect. Immigration laws are not merely suggestions, and the sanctity of those statutes is vital to public safety and the security of our borders. Today and always, ERO will continue to make immigration enforcement a priority to protect our communities and uphold a system the American people can trust."

Diaz will be sentenced on December 10, 2026, by Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr. Diaz faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson is prosecuting the case.