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A Mexican citizen living illegally in the United States faces federal charges including fraudulently voting in a Tarrant County election, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
Eliseo Morales-Tapia, 58, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cureton in Fort Worth on Wednesday, March 25, according to federal court records. He faces charges of identity theft, voter fraud, and passport fraud, according to a news release.
A criminal complaint filed on March 20 alleges that Morales-Tapia obtained a Texas driver’s license and state identification card, as well as a Social Security card and a U.S. passport, by using a birth certificate, Social Security number and other documents that belong to a man who lives in Chicago.
According to the complaint, the identity-theft victim told investigators that he believe his ex-wife, who now lives in Mexico, gave his birth certificate to the suspect. The victim’s Social Security number was written on the back of the birth certificate, investigators wrote in the complaint.
In October 2025, Morales-Tapia is accused of marking “yes” when asked if he was a U.S. citizen and if he wanted to register to vote while updating the address on a Texas driver’s license he had obtained 10 years earlier in the victim’s name, according to federal prosecutors.
The complaint also states that Morales-Tapia renewed the passport he had obtained in the victim’s name in 2025 and voted in a Tarrant County election on Nov. 5, 2024, utilizing the victim’s identity.
The defendant also used the victim’s identity to obtain employment, accoridng to the complaint.
Morales-Tapia, who is also known as Victorino Saaveclr Martinez, remains in federal custody awaiting further proceedings in the case, authorities said. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison, according to the release.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, Frisco police, Richardson police, the Diplomatic Security Service, the IRS and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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Shambhavi covers crime, law enforcement and other breaking news in Fort Worth and Tarrant County. She graduated from the University of North Texas and previously covered a variety of general assignment topics in West Texas. She grew up in Nepal.