A passenger who used stolen identities to board Discovery Princess and fraudulently obtain $20,000 from the ship’s casino has been sentenced to more than four years in prison, bringing an end to a sophisticated scheme that federal authorities say stretched beyond a single cruise voyage.
Enrico Ronquillo, 38, a Philippine national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, received a 53-month prison sentence on 17th June 2026 after pleading guilty to false impersonation and aggravated identity theft.
The court also ordered him to pay more than $25,000 in restitution and imposed one year of supervised release following his prison term.
The fraud was uncovered during a Princess Cruises sailing aboard the 4,600-guest Discovery Princess, which departed from Seattle.
Authorities say Ronquillo used multiple stolen identities and fraudulent documents to gain passage on the vessel before targeting the ship’s casino for a series of cash advances.
Federal investigators believe Ronquillo may have used stolen credit card information to pay for the cruise itself. Once onboard, he allegedly assumed at least two separate identities as part of a scheme designed to avoid detection.
Cash Withdrawals Spread Across Multiple Transactions
According to court documents, Ronquillo obtained approximately $20,000 from the casino through a series of transactions rather than a single large withdrawal.
To facilitate the withdrawals, he submitted a forged IRS Form W-9 using a victim’s name, signature and Social Security number. The document is required for certain financial transactions and allowed the withdrawals to proceed without immediately triggering fraud concerns.
Authorities said the strategy enabled Ronquillo to complete at least four separate cash advances before questions were raised about his identity.
The scheme came to an abrupt end on 14th May 2025 when Discovery Princess called at Juneau, Alaska. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer conducting routine checks noticed inconsistencies with the identification Ronquillo presented.
Investigators determined that Ronquillo’s appearance did not match the photograph on the ID card. A subsequent search uncovered multiple documents, including two birth certificates, a counterfeit California driver’s licence and a backpack containing a large amount of cash.
The evidence led to a federal indictment in June 2025 and ultimately to Ronquillo’s guilty plea.
Federal officials strongly criticised the offences following the sentencing.
“Mr Ronquillo knowingly used stolen identities and personal information of innocent U.S. citizens to gain passage on a cruise ship and enrich himself at its casino,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska.
Assistant Special Agent in Charge Zachary Pomerantz of the FBI Anchorage Field Office added: “This fraudster stole the identity of a U.S. citizen and impersonated the victim whilst on b
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