By Rachel D’Oro
Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A former Anchorage police officer accused of identity theft and of being an illegal immigrant is expected to plead guilty to federal charges.
Rafael Mora-Lopez, who was born in Mexico and lived for years in Alaska as Rafael Espinoza, was scheduled to appear Wednesday in federal court, where he is expected to plead guilty to charges of passport fraud and false claim of U.S. citizenship.
According to court documents filed in May, Mora-Lopez’s wife, Margarita Cynthia Espinoza, had been a neighbor of the real Espinoza in Guadalajara, Mexico. Authorities say Rafael Espinoza is a legal U.S. citizen.
The 47-year-old Mora-Lopez worked as a police officer until his arrest in April. He initially pleaded not guilty to passport fraud and has been out on bail under home confinement and electronic monitoring.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press