A Colombian national was sentenced to three years in federal prison after prosecutors say he stole a U.S. identity, obtained government documents and repeatedly voted as a noncitizen over roughly two decades. The Department of Homeland Security tied the case to broader worries about election integrity and urged states to tighten verification. Officials say the defendant used the stolen identity to secure a passport, a state driver’s license and to register and vote in multiple elections. The case has become part of a larger push by federal investigators to find and remove noncitizens who exploit U.S. records and benefits systems.
The man, identified by authorities as Carlos Felipe Jaramillo-Grajales, allegedly adopted the name, birth date and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen to obtain a passport in 2003. That passport then helped him secure a Florida driver’s license and a voter registration. According to the charging documents, he later cast a ballot in the 2020 election and in other contests over the years.
“Because of his fraud, he was able to obtain a driver’s license and vote in our elections,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, highlighting the criminal steps investigators traced to the false identity. Officials argue these breaches of trust show how weak verification can be exploited to insert noncitizen votes into the system. The sentence came after a coordinated probe involving multiple federal agencies focused on identity theft and election-related fraud.
“DHS will always fight to protect the integrity of our elections, because election security is national security. Only Americans should be electing American leaders,” he continued.
Congress and state officials have been debating how best to secure voter rolls and ID systems while protecting legitimate access. DHS has pointed to state-specific findings in recent months, including claims that hundreds of thousands of noncitizens may appear on some registries in certain states. Those figures have been used by proponents of stricter verification to argue for clearer rules and stronger cross-checks between databases.
SCHUMER SAID ‘DEMOCRATS SUPPORT VOTER ID’ — THEN EVERY SENATE DEMOCRAT VOTED AGAINST GOP BILL The episode involving Jaramillo-Grajales was cited in communications from DHS to several secretaries of state this year. The agency has been pressing state election officials in places it singled out as having notable registration discrepancies. Federal officials say their goal is to close gaps that allow identity fraud to translate into illegal votes or improper access to benefits.
Prosecutors say the scheme began when the defendant secured the passport in March 2003 using the stolen personal data of a U.S. citizen. He then used those same details to obtain a Florida driver’s license and to enroll in voter files. That sequence—passport, state ID, voter registration—is the pattern investigators say enabled his participation in elections while living as a noncitizen.
Investigators also tied the false identity to other benefits and claims over time, alleging the misuse extended beyond voting. “This criminal illegal alien spent years exploiting a stolen identity of a United States citizen to obtain government documents [and] claim benefits,” Tim Hemker, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said in a statement about the probe. Officials say identity theft of this kind can have ripple effects across numerous government systems.
In one documented instance, prosecutors say the defendant used the alias in June 2017 to obtain lawful permanent resident status for a woman who later became his wife. That claim illustrates how false identities can be leveraged to alter immigration outcomes for others. Authorities framed that episode as part of a pattern of exploitation rather than an isolated paperwork error.
Other cases highlighted by DHS include noncitizens who admitted to illegal voting or false citizenship claims in different states, which officials use to sharpen the focus on enforcement. Names cited in public statements underscore the agency’s message that prosecutions are ongoing and geographically varied. The department views such cases as evidence that stronger checks and interagency cooperation are necessary to uphold election law.
“Thanks to the hard work of the men and women of HSI, along with our federal partners, this criminal is out of our communities and, at the end of his sentence, will be removed from our country,” Mullin said, noting removal will follow the prison term. The investigation was handled by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. attorney’s office in Florida, which secured the conviction that led to the three-year sentence.
