MACON, Ga. — The brother of the man accused of killing Laken Riley has been indicted after being arrested for having a fake green card, officials said.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office with the Middle District of Georgia, a federal grand jury indicted Diego Ibarra for one count of possession of counterfeit immigration document.
Just last week, the 28-year-old was told he would have to remain in federal custody after being deemed a flight risk in a detention hearing Thursday morning in Macon.
Diego Ibarra was accused of presenting a fake green card to police as they were investigating a college nursing student's murder. He is not accused of having any connection to the killing of Riley, but his brother, Jose Ibarra, is facing murder charges.
A government filing showed the alleged fake green card. If convicted of possession of a fraudulent document, Diego Ibarra faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. That filing also mentioned that Diego Ibarra may have gang ties. He will remain in federal detention until a trial occurs.
Diego Ibarra's fake green card case and his brother's charges have been in the national spotlight following Riley's death. The Augusta University nursing student was found dead on the University of Georgia's campus on Feb. 22. UGA Police said the 22-year-old died from blunt force trauma.
Below is an outline of how and why Diego Ibarra was taken into custody and why authorities believe he may have gang ties.
The day of the arrest | Feb. 23, 2024
Diego Ibarra has not been charged and is not accused of having any connection to the killing of Riley. He is facing one charge of possessing a fraudulent document.
The court filing states Diego Ibarra was wearing "an identical hat" and had a similar appearance to the person in a surveillance photo that police were looking for in connection to Riley's death. The document said Diego Ibarra handed a police sergeant the fake green card as officers were conducting their investigation. The officer "immediately recognized that the ID was fraudulent due to its poor quality and the fact that the ID listed two different birth dates," the court filing states. Homeland Security Investigations verified the ID was fake, and he was arrested.
The court documents reveal a timeline of several previous offenses. The first one listed dates back to April 2023, when Diego Ibarra was accused of entering the country illegally in Texas.
'Tattoos suggest that he is a member of TdA'
There are several factors listed in the court document that outline reasons why officials believe Diego Ibarra may be affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA.
The document states that "Tattoos commonly found on TdA members consist of weapons, stars, clocks, trains, five-pointed crowns," and the "dollar sign."
The filing provides photos, which officials said were taken the same day Diego Ibarra was arrested in February. They show him with a five-pointed crown tattoo on the left side of his neck and five-pointed stars on the other side.
The court documents also point to the teardrop tattoo -- often associated with gang culture and not exclusive to TdA -- on his face as evidence to suggest that he is a member of a gang.
Homeland Security Investigators also found social media posts on Diego Ibarra's accounts that contained several photos of him and others appearing to flash the TdA hand sign, the document said.
It states that TdA was formed in the mid to late 2000s. The Venezuelan gang has allegedly had violent run-ins with police and others in New York and other parts of the U.S.
"Multiple U.S. law enforcement agencies have reported a heavy presence of TdA members in several states, particularly Texas, New York, Illinois, Florida, and Georgia," the court filing claims.