Venezuelan national Diego Ibarra makes first appearance in federal court for green card fraud

Diego Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen charged with possessing a fraudulent green card in Athens, Georgia last month, made his first federal court appearance on Monday in Macon.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Diego Ibarra, a Venezuelan citizen charged with possessing a fraudulent green card in Athens, Georgia last month, will have a standard preliminary hearing regarding probable cause and the government’s motion to detain on Thursday, March 7 at 10 a.m.

A U.S. Magistrate judge made the ruling at Ibarra’s first appearance in federal court on Monday afternoon, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

The 28-year-old is charged by criminal complaint with possession of a fraudulent document. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Diego Ibarra is the brother of Jose Ibarra, also of Venezuela, who is facing state charges for malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call and concealing the death of another in the homicide of Laken Riley.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with critical assistance from FBI, GBI, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, University of Georgia Police Department and the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case.