A 29-year-old man that had more than 20 videos of child sexual abuse on his phone committed naturalization fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Wednesday.

Officials say Ramy Mercado, of Jersey City, used his cellphone from June 2022 to October 2022 to transmit more than 20 video files depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including infants or toddlers. They say Mercado applied for U.S. citizenship and lied in his interview when asked if he had committed any crimes that he was not arrested for.

Mercado became a naturalized U.S. citizen on June 22, 2023. He pled guilty to naturalization fraud and possessing images of child sexual abuse.

Mercado’s sentencing is scheduled for May. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison.