Ronquillo Gets 53 Months in Discovery Princess ID Theft Case
Officers arrested Ronquillo when the ship reached Juneau, where a backpack search found two birth certificates and a California driver's license that appeared fraudulent.
A Philippine national who used stolen U.S. identity information to board Discovery Princess in Seattle for an Alaska cruise has been sentenced to 53 months in federal prison. Enrico Ronquillo, 38, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers when the ship reached Juneau on May 14, 2025.
The federal case centered on identity data submitted before embarkation, fraudulent documents found after the ship arrived in Alaska, and cash prosecutors tied to a casino transaction using another person’s credit card. Ronquillo pleaded guilty Feb. 19, 2026, to false impersonation of a U.S. citizen and aggravated identity theft.
Fraudulent documents found after arrival in Alaska
Ronquillo boarded Discovery Princess in May 2025 after using stolen identity information in his passenger application, prosecutors said. After the ship arrived in Juneau, CBP officers searched his backpack and found two birth certificates and a California driver’s license that appeared to be fraudulent.
One of the birth certificates and the driver’s license contained the personal information of an identity-theft victim known to investigators. The victim told investigators that his original driver’s license had been lost in Las Vegas in 2023.
Prosecutors also said Ronquillo was carrying a large amount of cash in his pockets and backpack, drawn from the ship’s casino using another person’s credit card.
Guilty plea followed indictment and attempted flight
A federal grand jury indicted Ronquillo on June 10, 2025. Court records cited in KTOO’s earlier coverage said he admitted the scheme to officials, acknowledged similar crimes on ships, and planned to leave Juneau by plane the day he was arrested.
Ronquillo was released on bail several days after the arrest, then cut off his ankle monitor and attempted to flee Juneau. Police recaptured him at Juneau International Airport.
The sentence also requires Ronquillo to serve one year of supervised release after prison and pay more than $25,000 in restitution. He will be subject to deportation proceedings.
