Mexican national arrested for faking U.S. citizenship at military contractor

Federal authorities arrested Alma Patricia Contreras Villafana, a 54-year-old Mexican national, for allegedly faking U.S. citizenship to work as a machinist for Howmet Aerospace, a military contractor, for 30 years.

Contreras Villafana was taken into custody following a two-hour standoff at a factory in Torrance, California. Investigators stated she attempted to hide in a conference room after being tipped off about the presence of law enforcement. Prosecutors allege she secured her initial employment in 1996 by falsely claiming citizenship on Form I-9 and recently used a stolen certificate of naturalization number to maintain her position. During her three decades of employment, she earned at least $1,402,459.

She faces multiple charges, including five counts of wire fraud, use of a false and forged certificate of naturalization, aggravated identity theft, and making a false claim to U.S. citizenship. If convicted, she faces significant prison time, including up to 20 years for each wire fraud count and a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft.