[1] Common reasons to perpetrate passport fraud include illegally entering a country, avoiding deportation, committing financial crimes, and smuggling.
Millions of stolen passports are used by terrorists and other dangerous criminals at any given time and it is considered the single largest threat to U.S. national security.
In 1940, the State and Justice Department convicted American Community Party members Earl Browder and Welwel Warszower of "unlawful use of passports.
If a person lied on a passport application form, they can be fined up to $250,000 and sentenced up to 10 years in prison.
If the crime includes human trafficking, narcotics, or both, the sentencing can be raised up to 15 years in prison.