- A Miami man impersonated a deceased neurologist to falsify medical disability waivers for citizenship applicants.
- The fraud allowed fourteen applicants to bypass English and civics tests required for naturalization.
- The defendant faces charges for aggravated identity theft and misuse of visas and permits.
Federal prosecutors charged a 61-year-old Miami man with allegedly impersonating a deceased neurologist and falsifying medical certifications that helped 14 naturalization applicants obtain U.S. citizenship without taking required English and civics tests.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services identified the defendant as Eduardo Javier Ibarra Arrowsmith, a Cuban national and convicted felon. The agency said he faces charges for fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents, along with aggravated identity theft.
Free toolI-94 Expiration Calculator Online
The case began with a referral from the agency to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. USCIS’ Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate identified Ibarra as the person allegedly posing as the dead doctor.
Prosecutors say the scheme used the neurologist’s name, National Provider Identifier and Florida medical license number. The documents targeted the citizenship process.
Ibarra allegedly completed and signed at least 34 Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions, using the doctor’s credentials. The form can support an exemption from the English language and civics portions of the naturalization test when a qualifying physical or mental disability prevents an applicant from meeting those requirements.
The alleged conduct occurred between February 2023 and November 2025, according to case details released by federal authorities. The certifications resulted in 14 applicants receiving citizenship without completing the required tests.
The alleged medical impersonation reached the naturalization process
The charges cite 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a), which covers fraud and misuse involving visas, permits and other documents, and 18 U.S.C. § 1028A(a)(1), the statute associated with the identity-theft count.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida is prosecuting the case. Its Health Care Fraud Unit, within the Economic Crimes and Cyber Frauds Section, is working with the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Unit in the Fraud Division through the Florida Strike Force.
The allegations connect an immigration filing to a broader health care enforcement operation. Authorities included the case in the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, which produced charges against 455 defendants tied to more than $6.5 billion in alleged fraud.
Those broader allegations involve Medicare, Medicaid, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program and private insurers. Ibarra’s case stands apart from those payment programs because the alleged use of medical credentials affected naturalization applications.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida described the wider operation in a June 25, 2026 statement.
“Health care fraud isn’t just fraud, it’s stealing from every American taxpayer. This Department of Justice is no longer satisfied with chasing stolen money after it’s gone. If you choose to exploit our health care system for personal gain, expect to lose your money, your assets, and your freedom.”
Federal agencies combined immigration and health care investigations
The Florida Strike Force includes prosecutors from the Southern District of Florida and the Justice Department. The investigative agencies involved in takedown cases included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service and USCIS.
The immigration referral followed an internal review by the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. Investigators then sent the matter to HSI, which pursued the federal criminal investigation with prosecutors.
The government’s case centers on the alleged misuse of a deceased physician’s professional identifiers. Those identifiers included the National Provider Identifier and the Florida license number, not merely the doctor’s name.
A charge is an accusation. Ibarra is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
USCIS tightened Form N-648 controls before the charges
USCIS tightened controls on Form N-648 in June 2025, requiring more specific medical explanations. The change preceded the charges and addressed the type of documentation used to request disability exceptions.
The case raises separate questions for the 14 people whose applications relied on the alleged false certifications. Federal authorities may consider denaturalization proceedings if citizenship resulted from willful misrepresentation or illegal procurement.
Denaturalization is a separate civil process from the criminal case against Ibarra. Any proceeding would require the government to establish the applicable legal grounds in court, and the facts of each applicant’s case could differ.
The federal charges were announced on August 11, 2026, as part of the national takedown. The investigation links immigration-document fraud to a nationwide effort targeting alleged health care fraud across public and private insurance programs.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
