Published on: June 26, 2026, at 06:50 AM.
Updated on: June 26, 2026, at 06:50 AM.
- Ronquillo confessed to using another individual’s credit card details to illegally acquire funds from the Discovery Princess casino during an Alaskan voyage.
- U.S. Customs agents detected the fraud after discovering forged identification documents, cash, and compromised personal data during an inspection in Juneau.
- The 38-year-old was sentenced to 53 months in prison, mandated to reimburse over $25,000, and is now likely facing deportation.
A cruise passenger who boarded a ship headed for Alaska under a fictitious identity and exploited stolen financial data to embezzle money from the onboard casino has been sentenced to over four years in federal prison.
On June 17, Enrico Ronquillo, 38, from Las Vegas, received a 53-month sentence after pleading guilty to impersonating a U.S. citizen and committing aggravated identity theft, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.
According to prosecutors, Ronquillo fraudulently employed another person’s credit card details to derive money while using the ship’s casino.
He was also ordered to repay $25,260.53 to Princess Cruises for his “fraudulent access device activities” during his time aboard the Discovery Princess.
Ronquillo utilized a U.S. citizen’s name, birth date, and address to fill out an online passenger registration before boarding the Discovery Princess in Seattle on May 11, 2025, as mentioned in court documents.
Fraud Scheme Exposed
The fraud became apparent when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials examined the ship after it docked in Juneau on May 14, 2025. Prosecutors reported that an officer found two birth certificates and a California driver’s license, all appearing to be counterfeit, in Ronquillo’s backpack.
The documents included personally identifiable information of a known identity theft victim, according to investigators.
The victim later informed authorities that he had lost his original driver’s license in Las Vegas in 2023, as stated by the Justice Department.
Ronquillo also had a substantial sum of cash in his backpack and pockets, authorities noted. Police confiscated several Louis Vuitton bags and a purse, which will contribute towards Ronquillo’s restitution to Princess Cruises, as detailed in court records.
During questioning, Ronquillo confessed to the fraud and claimed to have executed similar scams on cruise ships in the past, according to an affidavit reported by KTOO. He stated that he was collaborating with an accomplice in Seattle and intended to share the profits.
Attempted Flight to Freedom
After being released on bail, Ronquillo attempted to escape by removing an ankle monitor and trying to board a flight out of Alaska. He managed to get through airport security but was apprehended by Juneau police.
As a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and a Philippine citizen, Ronquillo is expected to undergo deportation proceedings after serving his sentence.
This incident on the Discovery Princess is not Ronquillo’s first encounter with cruise-related fraud. In May 2024, he was arrested for allegedly using multiple credit cards to amass nearly $12,900 in charges onboard.
Authorities also discovered counterfeit ID documents, fraudulent payment cards, and a credit card skimming device in his cabin. The resolution of that case remains undetermined.