Man in St. Joseph found guilty over decade long identity theft

Carter Ostermiller

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) –In a news release from the United States Department of Justice on January 28th, Romeo Perez-Bravo pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of illegal re-entry by an alien previously convicted of a felony.

According to the plea agreement, Perez-Bravo began using the victim’s name and social security number to obtain employment at several businesses in St. Joseph, beginning as early as 2009, up to his indictment in March 2025.

The victim discovered the identity theft when he began receiving tax bills from the IRS for unpaid income taxes assigned to his social security number.

Perez-Bravo is a citizen of Guatemala and does not have permission to enter, remain, or work in the United States legally.

Records indicate he has been deported three separate times, with at least one deportation occurring after he was convicted of a felony.

Perez-Bravo faces a mandatory two years in federal prison for the offense of aggravated identity theft, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison for the offense of illegal re-entry by an alien previously convicted of a felony.