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Honduran National Pleads Guilty in Florida, Faces Prison After Fatal Incident

Honduran man pleaded guilty to ID theft, false claims. He faces up to 12 years after killing a deputy.

September 16, 2025, 8:34 AM

A person in a judge's robe places a stack of money on a desk, symbolizing a corrupt deal.

The judge's actions speak volumes as a stack of money is placed on the desk, symbolizing a corrupt deal that undermines justice. By Miami Daily Life / MiamiDaily.Life.

Executive Summary

Juan Ariel Molina-Salles pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship for employment.

Molina-Salles, an undocumented immigrant, used a stolen identity to secure employment with the Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II, circumventing the E-Verify system.

While working under the stolen identity, Molina-Salles struck and killed Deputy Michael Hartwick of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office on September 22, 2022.

Laws and Precedent

Juan Ariel Molina-Salles pleaded guilty to federal charges of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A, false representation of a Social Security number, prohibited by 42 U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(B), and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment, which falls under federal laws addressing immigration fraud and false statements, particularly when circumventing systems like E-Verify for employment eligibility.

A Honduran national, Juan Ariel Molina-Salles, 35, pleaded guilty today in Tampa, Florida, to charges of aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment. Molina-Salles faces a mandatory minimum of two years in federal prison, which will run consecutively to any other prison term, and a maximum sentence of 12 years.

Details of the Offenses

According to court documents, Molina-Salles, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras, applied for employment with the Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II on February 16, 2022. The Joint Venture is enrolled in E-Verify, a system used to confirm employment eligibility.

During the application process, Molina-Salles falsely claimed to be a U.S. citizen on an I-9 form and used another individual’s identity, identified as V.V.R., to circumvent the E-Verify system. He provided no documentation to prove he was qualified to operate heavy construction equipment.

Tragic Incident and Arrest

On the evening of September 22, 2022, while working under the stolen identity at a highway construction site in Pinellas County, Molina-Salles was operating a front-end loader. During this time, he struck and killed Deputy Michael Hartwick of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Molina-Salles was arrested the following day, September 23, 2022. During an interview with investigators, he admitted to being from Honduras and having been in the United States for approximately eight months after entering illegally through Mexico. He confirmed his true identity and confessed to using the stolen identity to secure employment with Archer Western.

Legal Ramifications

United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the plea. The charges carry significant penalties, reflecting the severity of identity theft and the false claims made to gain employment, particularly in a case that resulted in a tragic death.