Manassas resident pleads guilty in green card case

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Mauricio Florian-Polanco, a 39-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was residing in Manassas
pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit immigration document fraud, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Washington (HSI); and Douglas Keen, Chief of the City of Manassas Police Department, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis, III.

Florian-Polanco faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 12, 2014.

In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Florian-Polanco admitted to conspiring with others to falsely make Social Security cards and alien registration receipt cards, more commonly known as Green Cards, for individuals whom he believed were illegal immigrants on at least 50 occasions. 

In furtherance of the conspiracy, Florian-Polanco would meet with individuals who were looking to obtain counterfeit documents, including government agents acting in an undercover capacity, and take their biographic information. 

Florian-Polanco then would meet with a co-conspirator who would, in turn, create the counterfeit documents.

This case was investigated by ICE-HSI and the City of Manassas Police Department, with assistance from the Northern Virginia Gang Task Force. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Alexandria Bogle is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office