Forsyth man faces prison after passport fraud guilty plea

Prosecutors say the defendant used another person’s identity for years before the case was uncovered.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Forsyth man who federal prosecutors say used a stolen identity to obtain a U.S. passport has pleaded guilty and now faces prison time, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

According to a news release, 54-year-old Roan Lynch, a Jamaican citizen, pleaded guilty Monday to making a false statement in a passport application, aggravated identity theft and illegal reentry into the United States.

Prosecutors say Lynch was previously convicted in New York in 1997 for conspiracy to distribute marijuana and was deported to Jamaica in 2000, with a 10-year ban from reentering the country.

According to court documents, Lynch illegally returned to the United States in the early 2000s and used another man’s identity to apply for and obtain a U.S. passport, including a renewal submitted in 2023 using a Forsyth address.

Investigators say the case came to light in 2024 when the victim applied for a passport and confirmed he did not give Lynch permission to use his identity. Fingerprint analysis was later used to confirm Lynch’s true identity, according to prosecutors.

Lynch faces up to 10 years in prison on the passport fraud charge, along with additional penalties for the other charges, including a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.

“Foreign nationals who commit crimes here, are deported, then reenter illegally to break our laws again will be held fully accountable for ignoring the standards that apply to all,” U.S. Attorney William R. ‘Will’ Keyes said. “We remain committed to upholding the rule of law by prioritizing these cases and ensuring offenders are brought to justice.”

Sentencing is scheduled for July 9.