NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man today admitted that he used a fraudulently made United States passport to travel abroad, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
According to federal officials Jetmir Memija, a/k/a “Shefki Hoti,” 42, an Albanian national residing in Edgewater, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Susan D. Wigenton to an information charging him with one count of using a fraudulently made passport.
**According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:**
On July 11, 2011, Memija, who had illegally entered the United States in 1996, applied for a United States passport. He submitted false information regarding his date of birth and Social Security number.
Memija submitted the personal identifying information of a family member along with his photograph. A United States passport book was issued to Memija based on this false information, which he used to gain entry into the Republic of Albania.
The passport fraud charge carries a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 2, 2020.