PITTSBURGH: Federal prosecutors say a Pittsburgh man lived in the United States for nearly a decade under the identity of a deceased individual, securing refugee status, permanent residency and, most recently, applying for citizenship — all under a name that was not his own.
An Indictment in Pittsburgh
Federal authorities have charged Mahmoud Almasry, 44, with fraud, misuse of visas and immigration documents, and aggravated identity theft, alleging that he entered the United States under a false identity and continued to use it for years.
A federal grand jury in Pittsburgh returned the indictment, which was announced Friday. Prosecutors said Mr. Almasry, also known as Mohammad Jiham, had been living in the city while allegedly misrepresenting himself to immigration authorities and other federal agencies.
According to the indictment, Mr. Almasry assumed the identity of a deceased man in order to gain entry into the United States in 2016. He is accused of maintaining that identity for nearly a decade, including in formal applications submitted under penalty of perjury. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, officials said.
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Entry Under an Assumed Name
Federal documents state that Mr. Almasry applied for refugee status in July 2016 using the name Mohammad Jiham. Authorities allege that he entered the United States on Nov. 28, 2016, under that identity. Within two weeks of his arrival, prosecutors said, he applied for and was issued a Social Security card under the name Jiham.
Authorities contend that the name belonged to a deceased man. According to court documents, Jiham was the first husband of Mr. Almasry’s wife. He was already dead when Mr. Almasry is alleged to have assumed his identity.
Prosecutors say the identity was used not only to gain entry into the country but also to obtain legal documentation that would enable him to live and work in the United States.
Lawful Status and a Path to Citizenship
Despite what prosecutors describe as the fraudulent origins of his entry, Mr. Almasry was later granted lawful permanent resident status. Authorities said he applied for and was issued a permanent resident card under the name Jiham on Oct. 24, 2018.
More than five years later, on Jan. 9, 2024, he signed an application for naturalization under the same name. The application was signed under penalty of perjury, according to the indictment, and authorities say he continued to use the alias at that time.
The progression — from refugee status to permanent residency and eventually an application for citizenship — reflects the series of formal immigration benefits that prosecutors allege were obtained using the assumed identity.
The Federal Case
The charges against Mr. Almasry include fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, as well as aggravated identity theft. The latter charge carries potential mandatory penalties if a conviction is secured.
Federal authorities have not publicly detailed how the alleged identity theft was discovered, but said that the F.B.I. and Homeland Security Investigations led the inquiry that resulted in the indictment.
The case now moves to federal court in Pittsburgh, where prosecutors will seek to prove that the identity used by Mr. Almasry was not his own and that he knowingly misrepresented himself in immigration filings over the course of several years. Mr. Almasry has not yet entered a plea in the case.
