Federal prosecutors announced that a Honduran national was convicted of identity theft and related aggravated fraud charges and sentenced to two years and two months in federal prison.
Nydia Roxana Maradiaga-Flores, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen D. Merriday on January 14, 2026, after being found guilty of aggravated identity theft, falsely stating a Social Security number, and falsely applying for U.S. nationality for employment purposes, according to U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Ms. Maradiaga-Flores was in the United States without legal status when she applied for employment with Archer Western de Moya Group Joint Venture II in Pinellas County on March 23, 2022.
Federal prosecutors said the company participates in E-Verify, a web-based system used by employers to electronically verify whether employees are eligible to work in the United States.
As part of the hiring process, Maradiaga Flores completed an I-9 employment eligibility form. Prosecutors said she falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen and used someone else’s identifying information to defeat the E-Verify system.
This incident was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Social Security Office of Inspector General, U.S. Border Patrol, Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted by Special U.S. Attorney Joseph Wheeler III and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karina Valdez.
