A Nebraska City man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in a scheme to provide Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates and Social Security cards and selling them to illegal immigrants in our area.

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Gerardo Rangel Rojas, a/k/a Ivan Lara Rojas was sentenced on Friday, October 5. In addition to his prison term, Rangel Rojas was ordered to forfeit $2,300.

He will also serve 3 years of supervised release following his release from prison.

The defendant was one of 53 named in a multi-count indictment filed in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. Rangel Rojas, and others, were alleged to have obtained sets of Government of Puerto Rico-issued birth certificates and corresponding U.S. Social Security Cards, from sources in Puerto Rico, and then sold them to persons in the Nebraska City area. Rangel Rojas was arrested on January 11, 2012, and indicted by a federal grand jury on February 16, 2012.