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Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Immigration Fraud for Using Counterfeit Resident Card

Edgar Diaz admitted to using a counterfeit permanent resident card to obtain employment at a farm in Marietta, New York.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 25, 2026, 1:23 p.m. ET
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Edgar Diaz, 47, a citizen of Guatemala illegally present in the United States, guilty on August 12, 2026, to one count of immigration fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York. The announcement was made on August 24, 2026, by First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Philip Rhoney, Acting Field Office Director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Buffalo. As part of his plea, Diaz admitted that on January 28, 2019, he used and possessed a counterfeit permanent resident card bearing his name and photograph but a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services number that had not been assigned to him, to obtain employment at a farm in Marietta, New York. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Diaz was allowed to participate in the Alternative to Detention Program in June 2019 while his immigration proceedings were pending, and wore an ankle bracelet for GPS tracking. On June 7, 2019, he cut the bracelet and remained a fugitive until his arrest in Virginia in May 2026. Diaz faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Scullin Jr. The case was investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson.

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  1. Version 125 Aug 2026, 17:23current

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