Guatemalan National Arrested in Lockport, Charged with Providing False Identification
A 25-year-old man identified by authorities as Gendry Amilcar Niz-Niz was arrested earlier this month in Lockport and charged with making a false statement to federal agents, according to a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to federal prosecutors, Niz-Niz was stopped by Lockport police around 4:30 p.m. on March 16 for multiple vehicle and traffic violations on Main Street. During the stop, he allegedly provided officers with a foreign identification card bearing the name “Juan Martinez-Chavez.” The document appeared to be issued by the Republic of Guatemala’s Department of Transportation.
Due to the nature of the identification, Lockport police contacted U.S. Border Patrol for assistance. When questioned by a Border Patrol agent, Niz-Niz reportedly identified himself as “Juan Martinez” and claimed Guatemalan citizenship. Authorities say the photograph on the ID matched the individual, but a database search did not produce records of a legal entry into the United States under that name or date of birth.
Federal officials said that Niz-Niz later admitted to entering the U.S. without authorization and claimed it was his first encounter with immigration authorities. However, further investigation revealed he had previously been arrested in Tucson, Arizona, in 2021 under the name Gendry Amilcar Niz-Niz.
He was taken into custody following the incident.
The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew J. Henning and Sasha Mascarenhas. It is the result of a joint investigation by the Lockport Police Department and U.S. Border Patrol.
As with all criminal proceedings, the charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.