San Diego Woman, Boyfriend Accused Of Stealing Her Brother's Identity

SAN DIEGO, CA — A San Diego woman and her boyfriend are facing federal charges for allegedly stealing her brother's identity in order to allow the boyfriend to unlawfully cross into the United States on a regular basis, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday.

Kassandra Sanchez, 23, of San Diego, and Luis Enrique Villegas Brownell, 20, of Tijuana, are accused of stealing Sanchez's brother's identification documents, as well as using a state ID card obtained under Sanchez's brother's name so that Villegas Brownell could impersonate the brother and cross the border unlawfully more than 50 times over the past 17 months.

Villegas Brownell allegedly provided false information at a California DMV to get an ID card that bore Sanchez's brother's name, but also Villegas Brownell's photo and thumbprint. Villegas Brownell also used the stolen ID to smuggle an undocumented immigrant through the San Ysidro Port of Entry and apply for Medi-Cal and other benefits, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Sanchez's brother was unable to enter the United States due to the identity theft, prosecutors said. He told border officers that Sanchez had asked for his identity documents to get Villegas Brownell into the U.S., then stole his documents after he refused, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The couple are facing charges that include conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, and false personation in an immigration matter.

— City News Service