Filipino gets U.S. prison term for identity theft

A Filipino who posed as a US citizen and boarded an Alaska-bound cruise ship using stolen identities has been sentenced to more than four years in prison and will face deportation after serving his sentence, according to a report by GMA News citing US authorities.

The United States Attorney’s Office in Alaska said 38-year-old Enrico Ronquillo was ordered to serve more than four years behind bars after pleading guilty to one count of false impersonation of a US citizen and one count of aggravated identity theft on 19 February 2026.

In addition to his prison sentence, Ronquillo was ordered to complete one year of supervised release and pay more than $25,000 in restitution to his victims. He is also expected to face deportation proceedings upon his release.

Authorities said the case came to light when officers of US Customs and Border Protection inspected a cruise ship upon its arrival in Juneau, Alaska, on 14 May 2025.

During the inspection, investigators recovered two birth certificates and a California driver’s license believed to be fraudulent and bearing the personal information of an identity theft victim.

The investigation later revealed that Ronquillo had boarded the vessel in Seattle on 11 May 2025 after allegedly presenting himself as a US citizen even though he was only a lawful permanent resident.

Prosecutors said he used counterfeit identity documents, including a California driver’s license and birth certificate containing another person’s personal information.