Alma Patricia Contreras Villafana, 54, a Mexican national residing in Los Angeles, was arrested on 18/9 by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers at a Howmet Aerospace operated factory in Torrance, California. She barricaded herself in a conference room for over hai hours before being apprehended.

Court records show Contreras Villafana received a deportation order from the US in 2003. This time, she faces multiple charges including wire fraud, using false naturalization documents, aggravated identity theft, and falsely claiming US citizenship to obtain employment.

For over 30 years, the defendant falsely claimed identity to secure a machine operator position at an aerospace company with direct military contracts. This allowed her to access information and areas she should never have been allowed to access, said Bill Essayli, a senior federal prosecutor in Los Angeles.

Court records indicate Contreras Villafana first obtained employment at a Howmet subsidiary in 1996 by claiming to be a US citizen on an I-9 form, a mandatory document for verifying identity and legal work eligibility. This year, Contreras Villafana submitted another I-9 form, again making false claims to retain her job at Howmet, and provided a naturalization certificate number belonging to another individual.

Prosecutors stated that over ba decades of working at Howmet and its subsidiary, she received at least 1,4 million USD in wages and compensation.

If convicted, Contreras Villafana faces a maximum federal sentence of 20 years for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years for using false naturalization certificates, a maximum of ba years in prison for falsely claiming US citizenship, along with a mandatory hai-year consecutive sentence for aggravated identity theft (to be served after completing sentences for other offenses, not concurrently).

Alma Patricia Contreras Villafana (in pink) was arrested on 18/9. *Photo: California Post*

Contreras Villafana's alleged criminal acts were uncovered during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) review of Howmet's I-9 records. Villafana's use of a naturalization certificate number belonging to another person was likely the reason her actions were exposed.

The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.

Howmet, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a major manufacturer of jet engine components and titanium structures for the aerospace industry, as well as fasteners and aluminum wheels for heavy-duty trucks. It is a public company and owns over 20 factories worldwide.

The company conducts significant business with the US military. Representatives for Howmet have not yet responded to requests for comment. HSI investigators are examining whether Howmet's hiring practices violated the law.