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Prosecutors filed the same federal charges against her live-in boyfriend, Francisco Sangabriel-Mendoza, 29, also of Minneota, who prosecutors say was the registered owner of the van. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and authorities asked anyone who knows his whereabouts to call the Immigration and Customs Enforcement toll free hot line at 1-866-347-2423.
Franco’s attorney, Manuel Guerrero of St. Paul, declined comment on the new charges, saying he hadn’t seen them. Franco did not immediately return a message left at the Lyon County Jail in Marshall.
Both of Franco and Sangabriel-Mendoza face maximum potential penalties of five years in prison on each false representation count and two years on each identity theft count.
Right after the crash, Franco identified herself as Alianiss Nunez-Morales. But immigration investigators found the real Nunez-Morales in Connecticut. She told them her purse and identification documents were stolen more than six months ago when she was living in Puerto Rico, according to an ICE affidavit.
The affidavit alleges Franco used Nunez-Morales’ Social Security number to obtain a Minnesota identification card, an ID that is not a driver’s license. Franco allegedly was not licensed to drive in Minnesota. She also allegedly gave the Social Security number at two Minnesota companies where she worked.