A Honduran woman has been ordered to serve 26 months in federal prison after a judge found she used a stolen identity to secure a job in Pinellas County, Florida.
Nidia Roxana Maradiaga-Flores, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday following her January 14, 2026, conviction. The charges included aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of United States citizenship for the purpose of employment.
The case centered on a March 2022 job application. Maradiaga-Flores, who lacked lawful status in the United States, sought employment with the Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II.
To get past the company’s E-Verify system—a digital tool used by employers to confirm worker eligibility—she filled out an I-9 form using another person’s identification and falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen.
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United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the sentence this week.
The conviction was the result of a coordinated investigation between local and federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Social Security Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The prosecution was handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler III and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karyna Valdes.
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