TAMPA, Fla. — A Mexican national has pled guilty to aggravated identify theft for misuse of a Social Security Number and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to gain employment following a joint Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa investigation.
Antonino Resendiz Badillo, 39, of Mexico, faces a penalty of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, E-Verify is a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. E-Verify is administered by the Social Security Administration and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The SSA and USCIS check the submitted information against the records of actual persons who are authorized to work in the United States. E-Verify is a voluntary program for employers and requires documents such as a Social Security number and photo identification of a prospective employee.
From at least 2022 through May 2024, Badillo used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system and to commit the felony offenses.
This case was investigated by HSI, the Department of Transportation–Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Department of Labor–Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
HSI Tampa’s area of responsibility, which includes 10 geographically strategic offices, covers more than 51,600 square miles of the total 65,757 square miles in the state of Florida. This area is inhabited by more than 14.2 million people and includes 58 of the 67 counties. HSI Tampa also includes five of the 10 largest cities in Florida, 15 primary commercial service airports, and 11 seaports.
Learn more about HSI Tampa‘s mission to increase public safety in Florida communities on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSITampa.