Honduran Man Sentenced For Illegal Reentry, Identity Theft, & Social Security Fraud
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 2:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
JOHNSTOWN, PA.- A 67-year-old Honduran national, formerly illegally residing in the Western District of Pennsylvania, will be spending over three years in federal prison after being sentenced, after pleading guilty to federal immigration and fraud offenses.
According to First Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, Jose Mejia-Sarmiento, 67, of Mexico, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie L. Haines to 39 months in federal prison for his guilty plea to a federal information charging Illegal Reentry by a Deported Alien; Fraudulent use of a Social Security Number; and Aggravated Identity Theft.
Judge Haines Ordered Mejia-Sarmiento To Be Deported Following His Prison Term
In handing down the sentence, Judge Haines ordered Mejia-Sariemento, upon completion of his term of imprisonment, to be immediately remanded to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be removed from the United States.
According To Court Documents
According to court documents, Mejia-Sarmiento was found to be illegally present in the Western District of Pennsylvania after having been removed from the United States on three separate occasions, between 1996 and 2016, including following a felony conviction on the latter occasion.
Further, Mejia-Sariemiento made false statements to the Social Security Administration on four different occasions between May 2024 and February 2025 within the Western District of Pennsylvania, by possessing and utilizing the identification of another person.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Rivetti commended the investigative work of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which led to the successful prosecution of Mejia-Sarmiento.
