A Colombian national who stole a U.S. citizen’s identity to obtain a passport, driver’s license and voter registration has been sentenced to three years in federal prison.
Illegal Identity Theft and Voter Fraud Conviction
Carlos Felipe Jaramillo Grajales, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger after pleading guilty to false statements, aggravated identity theft and unlawful voting.
Jaramillo Grajales used a stolen U.S. citizen’s name, birth certificate and Social Security number to apply for a passport in May 2003, a Florida driver’s license in March 2003 and a voter registration in December 2010, voting in multiple elections, including the 2020 Duval County contest.
He renewed the passport in 2013 and 2023, each time submitting fraudulent renewal applications, and renewed his Florida license in February 2024.
In August 2017, his then‑spouse, who entered the United States on a visitor visa in September 2003, became a U.S. citizen after marrying him and later filed a K‑1 fiancé visa for Jaramillo Grajales, which was approved in June 2024.
“This criminal illegal alien spent years exploiting a stolen identity of a United States citizen to obtain government documents, claim benefits, and unlawfully participate in the electoral process,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker.
U.S. Attorney Kehoe added, “Federal immigration laws serve to safeguard our nation’s borders and protect the integrity of our government. Those who seek to circumvent, exploit, or break these laws will be prosecuted fully.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Jaramillo Grajales flew to Colombia in May 2024 under his false name, returned to the United States in June 2024 under his real name after his ex‑spouse filed a K‑1 visa for him, remarried in June 2025 and applied for permanent residence based on his marriage to a U.S. citizen.
