A federal grand jury has indicted a Maryland man on charges of theft of government property, passport fraud, social security misuse, false statement of citizenship, and making false statements.
If convicted, Jorge Echeverri, 73, of Port Tobacco, will face up to 10 years in prison for passport fraud and up to 10 years of theft of government property.
According to the indictment, Echeverri, is a Colombian national, and entered the United States illegally in 1972.
The indictment says Echeverri has been deported three times, but unlawfully re-entered the United States for a fourth time between 1985 and 1987.
Authorities say he used a fraudulent birth certificate from Puerto Rico to create a fake identity, and began living in the U.S. as Pedro Torres Rivera.
Under that identity, officials say he illegally applied for and received retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration from May 2010 through Jan. 2025.
Additionally, authorities say that Echeverri fraudulently applied for a U.S. Passport, voted in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections, and misused a Social Security number.
Now, Echeverri will face charges, as a federal district court judge determines sentencing.
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