U.S. Department of Justice Marcos Daniel Jiménez United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida
	99 N.E. 4th Street Miami, FL 33132 (305) 961-9001

DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR
CONSPIRING TO CREATE FALSE MARINER DOCUMENTS

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Rear Admiral Harvey Johnson, Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, United States Coast Guard; and Jonathan Sall, Special Agent in Charge, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, announced today that on January 21, 2004, Maria Machado Diaz was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment and two years of supervised release following her conviction for conspiring to create false mariner documents. Diaz was found by United States District Judge Adalberto Jordan to be a leader and organizer in the conspiracy, which involved the smuggling of illegal aliens into the United States posing as commercial seamen. Three other defendants in the case pled guilty and were sentenced to lesser sentences. One defendant, Marvin Joseph, Jr., fled South Florida after his indictment and remains a fugitive. All defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit offenses or to defraud the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and encouraging or inducing an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1324.

The agencies investigated Diaz and her co-defendants from October 2002 until March 2003. Undercover agents conducted numerous operations in which they purchased false mariner employment documents, kept tight surveillance and obtained video and audio recordings from and of the suspects. The indictment charged that the defendants sent numerous letters to the United States government stating that certain aliens were guaranteed employment on ships docked in Miami. In each case, the aliens were not guaranteed employment on the vessels as stated by the defendants. The indictment also charged that by sending the letters, the defendants were inducing and encouraging the aliens to enter the United States despite knowing that the aliens did not have authority to enter the country.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Office, the State Department Diplomatic Security Service and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott E. Ray.

Return to Press Release Page

Technical comments about this website can be e-mailed to the Webmaster. PLEASE NOTE: The United States Attorney's Office does not respond to non-technical inquiries made to this website. If you wish to make a request for information, you may contact our office at 305-961-9001, or you may send a written inquiry to the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, 99 NE 4th Street, Miami, Fl. 33132.