Venezuelan Man Sentenced for Possession of Fraudulent Documents Amid Murder Investigation

Diego Jose Ibarra, 29, also known as “Gocho,” a Venezuelan man who entered the United States illegally, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for possession of a fraudulent document in connection with the ongoing murder investigation of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley. The sentencing, delivered by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self, III on March 19, 2025, also mandates his deportation, along with his brother, Argenis Ibarra, 25, and their roommate, Rosbeli Flores-Bello, 29, both of Venezuela, who were sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to similar charges.

The case unfolded in the aftermath of Riley’s tragic murder on February 22, 2024, when she was kidnapped and killed while jogging at the University of Georgia. During the investigation, law enforcement officers encountered Diego Ibarra on February 23, 2024, when he was approached by an Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) officer. At the time, Ibarra was identified as matching the description of the primary suspect in the murder investigation, his brother, Jose Antonio Ibarra.

When questioned, Diego Ibarra presented a counterfeit U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) as identification. This discovery led to his arrest and triggered further investigation into his illegal presence in the country. His brother, Jose Antonio Ibarra, was later convicted of Riley’s murder on November 20, 2024, and is serving a life sentence.

The investigation also revealed that Diego Ibarra had illegally entered the United States on April 30, 2023, alongside four other Venezuelan men, crossing the border near the Ysleta station in El Paso, Texas. When U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents attempted to apprehend him, Ibarra resisted, grabbing an agent’s service radio, throwing it into a yard, and attempting to bite the agent. After a scuffle, Ibarra and another man were subdued with the assistance of the National Guard.

Ibarra was taken to a local hospital due to injuries he sustained during the altercation, but he admitted to crossing the border illegally and resisting arrest. His injuries were not related to the scuffle but were instead the result of a fall while scaling the border fence. Ibarra was later placed in an Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, which required him to wear a GPS ankle monitor and report to New York, New York, while awaiting asylum proceedings. However, he failed to report as instructed and cut off his ankle monitor on May 25, 2023, before being located in Athens.

In Athens, Ibarra was arrested multiple times. On September 24, 2023, he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a license. He was arrested again on October 27, 2023, for theft by shoplifting and on December 8, 2023, for an outstanding warrant related to the DUI charge. Additionally, on September 26, 2023, officers responded to a domestic incident involving Ibarra and his girlfriend. He was also implicated in causing significant damage to a jail facility during his detention in the Butts County Detention Center.

While in federal custody, Ibarra was found to possess two improvised weapons on June 25, 2024: a sharpened sprinkler head and a pen wrapped in saran wrap. This discovery, along with his history of criminal behavior, led to additional charges against him.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Diego Ibarra was likely affiliated with the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), based on evidence such as multiple TdA tattoos and social media photos showing him making gang signs and wearing TdA clothing. His criminal history and gang affiliation were key factors in his sentencing.

Co-defendants Argenis Ibarra and Rosbeli Flores-Bello, who lived with Diego Ibarra and his brother, also faced charges related to fraudulent documents. Argenis Ibarra admitted to possessing a counterfeit U.S. Permanent Resident Card in his name, while Flores-Bello possessed a fraudulent card under the name Rodrianny Brito Brito. Additionally, both defendants were found to have counterfeit Social Security cards.

Argenis Ibarra had entered the U.S. illegally on April 3, 2023, and was previously apprehended by the USBP near Eagle Pass, Texas, before being returned to Mexico. On April 30, 2023, he was arrested again near El Paso, Texas, but was released from custody due to lack of space at the ICE processing center. Similarly, Flores-Bello illegally entered the U.S. on May 3, 2023, and was released on her own recognizance due to limited space at the processing center.

Both Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello were deported after their time served, and they too face deportation to Venezuela. This case is part of the broader nationwide initiative “Operation Take Back America,” which targets illegal immigration, cartels, and transnational criminal organizations.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the FBI, GBI, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, University of Georgia Police Department, and Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison.