A Guatemalan national residing illegally in the United States has been indicted in the Middle District of Louisiana on charges of fraud related to an application to sponsor an unaccompanied alien child (UAC). The indictment alleges that Felix Coc Choc, 29, from Rogers, Arkansas, submitted a fraudulent application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in an attempt to gain custody of a 16-year-old Guatemalan UAC who entered the United States illegally in January 2023.
According to court documents, Coc Choc allegedly claimed to be the child’s brother and used another individual’s identity by submitting a Guatemalan national identification card under the name J.C.J. He later admitted to this misrepresentation after initially denying it and then filed a sponsorship application using his real name. ORR denied this second application due to the alleged fraud.
“As alleged, this defendant made fraudulent misstatements to the U.S. government to try to sponsor an unaccompanied child in the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Defendants who lie to secure the care and custody of an unaccompanied child threaten the government’s ability to ensure that the child is placed in a safe environment with a proper caregiver. The Criminal Division is fully committed to protecting vulnerable children and delivering justice to those who violate the law.”
“I would like to thank our prosecutor and our partners for their tireless work on this matter,” said U.S. Attorney Ellison C. Travis. “We are committed to eliminating the exploitation of minors and their families by unscrupulous traffickers, and appreciate the resources which were brought to bear by federal authorities to bring this defendant to justice.”
“Deliberately attempting to defraud a government program designed to safeguard vulnerable children is a reprehensible act that demands accountability,” stated Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “In close coordination with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to rigorously pursue those who attempt to exploit the Unaccompanied Alien Children’s program and ensure they are held fully accountable under the law.”
Coc Choc faces one count each of making a false statement and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he could receive up to five years in prison for making a false statement and an additional mandatory two years for aggravated identity theft.
The case is being investigated by HHS-OIG with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations’ Legal Attaché team in Guatemala, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington D.C., and ORR.
Prosecution is being led by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), which coordinates efforts across multiple agencies including components from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with support from other Justice Department sections such as HRSP, MLARS, OEO, OIA, as well as DHS, FBI, DEA, among others. JTFA focuses on targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling across regions including Canada, Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Panama, and Caribbean nations impacting public safety at U.S. borders. According to JTFA statistics so far there have been more than 415 arrests domestically and internationally related to alien smuggling activities; over 355 convictions; more than 305 significant jail sentences; along with substantial asset forfeitures.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative using all available Justice Department resources aimed at combating illegal immigration while targeting violent crime perpetrators through projects like Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is only an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
