Mexican Identity Thief Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud, Theft of Government Funds

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Virginia

An immigrant from Mexico, who lied about her identity for more than 30 years to obtain immigration documents and other benefits, pled guilty to a pair of federal charges. 

Candy Lazo, a.k.a. “Candida Jimenez Lazo” a.k.a. “Natalia Perez de Cruz” a.k.a. “Natalia Perez,” 53, pled guilty to one count of passport fraud and one count of theft of government funds. 

According to court documents, the defendant was born Candia Jimenez Lazo in 1973 in Oaxaca, Mexico. However, beginning at least as early 1993, Lazo began impersonating a Mexican woman named Natalia Perez de Cruz, whom she knew as the former spouse of her ex-husband. 

Lazo used the victim’s name and date of birth to obtain a U.S. visa in April 1993, according to the statement of facts filed in the case. She went on to use the victim’s identity on applications to procure various U.S. government benefits between 2011 and 2024, including: naturalization and U.S. citizenship, U.S. passports and passport cards, driver’s licenses, and REAL ID Act-compliant documents. 

Further, Lazo used the Social Security number she obtained by impersonating the victim to apply for Social Security Administration disability benefits. By stealing the victim’s date of birth, Lazo effectively raised her age by approximately eight years, allowing her to fraudulently receive over $89,340 in disability benefits to which she was not entitled. 

First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Special Agent in Charge David Richeson of the Department of State- Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration- Office of the Inspector General, and Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. made the announcement. 

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Browne is prosecuting the case.