Overview
- The Times published “Two Men. One Identity. They Both Paid the Price,” recounting years of tax and legal fallout for Minnesotan Daniel Kluver after his identity was allegedly used by Romeo Pérez‑Bravo, including a 2022 fatal crash that led to a wrongful‑death suit naming Kluver.
- Investigators located Pérez‑Bravo, who faces federal counts of aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number; he spent six weeks in detention before an April bond hearing and remains awaiting trial.
- A Justice Department release says a conviction would trigger a mandatory two‑year sentence for aggravated identity theft plus up to five years for Social Security‑number misuse.
- DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin cited prior removals, four DUI convictions, convictions for terroristic threats and assault, and felony illegal reentry in criticizing the portrayal of Pérez‑Bravo.
- Vice President JD Vance, Sen. Mike Lee, and other conservatives denounced the feature’s tone, while the New York Times said it sought to explain immigration complexities and the prevalence of SSN fraud, with some estimates placing the number of undocumented workers using stolen or fake numbers near one million.