(WNY News Now) – A Jamaican citizen was sentenced to prison for using a fraudulent U.S. passport in a failed attempt to enter the United States.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Maria Josephine Wright-Lawrence, 34, of Jamaica, has been sentenced to nine months in prison after being convicted of false use of a U.S. passport. U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. issued the sentencing following Wright-Lawrence’s failed attempt to illegally enter the United States from Canada.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, on January 4, 2024, Wright-Lawrence, along with another individual, arrived at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry around 11:30 p.m. While undergoing routine questioning by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, Wright-Lawrence presented a U.S. passport under the name “K.E.M.” and claimed to be a U.S. citizen living in Texas. Officers immediately noticed discrepancies, including a blurry photograph on the passport and her nervous demeanor.
The pair was referred for secondary inspection, where CBP officers confirmed the passport had been stolen from Kingston, Jamaica, and altered to reflect a different identity. Fingerprint analysis revealed Wright-Lawrence’s true identity, proving she was a Jamaican citizen with no legal status to enter the U.S. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered several identification cards bearing Wright-Lawrence’s real name and photo.
The case was the result of a joint investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations, led by Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy and Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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