Idaho man accused of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote, obtain passport and gun
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BOISE — A man accused of using a fraudulent birth certificate to claim U.S. citizenship allegedly registered to vote and cast ballots in two Idaho elections while also obtaining government benefits, a U.S. passport and a firearm, federal prosecutors say.
A federal grand jury in Boise indicted Fredy Avila Gomez on charges including wire fraud, theft of government funds, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship to vote, voting by an alien, making a false statement on a passport application, identification document fraud and firearms offenses.
According to the indictment, Gomez allegedly carried out a scheme from at least March 2017 through June 2026 in which he obtained Idaho identification cards using a fraudulent birth certificate and falsely represented himself as a U.S. citizen or national.
Federal prosecutors allege Gomez then used the identification cards and birth certificate to fraudulently obtain a U.S. passport, Medicaid benefits and a firearm.
The indictment also alleges Gomez falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen when he registered to vote and later cast ballots in May 2022 and November 2024. The U.S. Department of Justice included Gomez among 16 people charged across the country in cases involving alleged illegal voting, voter registration or related election crimes.
Gomez faces charges of wire fraud, theft of government funds, false statement of citizenship in order to vote, voting by an alien, false statement in a passport application, fraud in connection with identification documents, false statement during the purchase of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm.
He is scheduled to make his initial appearance Monday, Sept. 21, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham in Boise.
If convicted, Gomez faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Any sentence would ultimately be determined by a federal judge based on sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Mazorol and Darci Crane are prosecuting the case.
The charges contained in an indictment are allegations. Gomez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.