Bridgeport Resident Living under a Stolen Identity for 20 Years Pleads Guilty

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut:

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ADRIAN JOSEPH, 55, a citizen of St. Lucia last residing in Bridgeport, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarah A. L. Merriam in Bridgeport to offenses related to his acquiring federal documents under an assumed identity.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Joseph has been living in Bridgeport under an assumed identity for approximately 20 years. Using his stolen identity, Joseph has obtained from various governmental agencies multiple identity documents, including a U.S. passport, a Social Security Account Number card, a City of Bridgeport voting registration card, and a Connecticut driver’s license from the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (“CT DMV”). In February 2020, Joseph visited the CT DMV in Norwalk and, using fraudulent identity documents, successfully applied for and received a REAL ID driver’s license.

During the investigation, the individual whose identity Joseph used informed the government that his identity documents were stolen in the late 1990s.

Joseph pleaded guilty to one count of use of a passport secured by a false statement, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of false representation of a social security account number, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Judge Merriam scheduled sentencing for October 25.

Joseph has been detained in federal custody since January 31, 2021.

This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Police and Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.