A 30-year-old crewmember from the longliner F/V Beauty Bay was arraigned in Unalaska yesterday on charges of criminal impersonation, forgery, and working as an illegal immigrant.

Omar Ivan Villanueva is a Mexican national.  He was using the social security number and other identifying information of a Texas man to establish work eligibility in the United States.

When the Texan filed for unemployment benefits he was informed that he was ineligible because he was employed on a fishing vessel in Alaska.  The man contacted the Alaska State Troopers, who arrested Villanueva when the Beauty Bay pulled into port.

Alaska state law specifically prohibits illegal immigrants from working on commercial fishing vessels.  

Villanueva is being held in the Unalaska jail on $25,000 bail.  Sergeant Robin Morrisett says the Troopers are not investigating the boat or its parent company for any wrongdoing.  

Correction: Court documents indicate the crewmember's name is Omar V. Levya.