U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs stated that two New York women had been sentenced to federal prison for running an illegal counterfeit passport operation in the Eastern District of Texas.
On April 7, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant sentenced Ciera Julieth Blas, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, to 120 months in federal prison after she pled guilty to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other papers.
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Kelly Josek, 41, of New York, New York, also pleaded guilty to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other papers, and Judge Mazzant sentenced him to 90 months in federal prison in January 2026.
According to evidence presented in court, officers from the Flower Mound Police Department performed a traffic stop on a car driven by Blas and passenger Josek. During the stop, officers discovered seven U.S. passport identification cards and supporting bank cards with names that matched the passports. The investigation was turned over to the United States Diplomatic Security Service, which discovered that Blas and Josek used the personal identifying information of over 80 other people, as well as passport-style photos of 12 different people, to create counterfeit passport cards with their names and images.
“This case highlights the significant work of local law enforcement in protecting our communities and our nation on a daily basis,” said US Attorney Jay R. Combs. “In this case, a normal traffic stop was far from routine. Counterfeit passport cards and other identification documents permit a wide range of crimes, including fraud and terrorism. We take these offenses extremely seriously, and we appreciate the court sentencing Blas to the statutory maximum of ten years in jail and Josek to more than seven years.”
“Today’s sentencing is very welcome and the positive result of several years of unceasing investigative work by the DSS Resident Office in Dallas,” said Ryan Pack, Special Agent in Charge of the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Houston Field Office. “The significance of the penalty clearly demonstrates how seriously fraud involving the use of counterfeit U.S. passport cards and other official government documents is taken.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that mobilizes the Department of Justice’s full resources to combat the invasion of illegal immigration, eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from violent criminals.
The US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Flower Mound Police Department, and the US Secret Service all investigated this case. Abe McGlothin Jr., the Assistant United States Attorney, prosecuted this case.
