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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Washington teacher accused of identity theft

Associated Press
COULEE DAM, Wash. — A teacher in the Coulee Dam School District is accused of forgery and identity theft. The Columbia Basin Herald reports 43-year-old Guillermo Guzman was arrested recently by police and a Border Patrol agent. He came to their attention after a relative with a similar name was denied Social Security benefits because records showed he was employed as a teacher. Police say it appears Guzman entered the United States illegally from Mexico and used the relative’s Social Security information. Guzman graduated from the University of Washington and passed background checks when he was hired in 2008 as a Spanish teacher. Guzman was Lake Roosevelt High School teacher of the month in May of last year. Superintendent Dennis Carlson says he’s a hard worker who held students to high standards.