Floridian native Robert Allen Wright has spent the last twelve years living as a Costa Rican, after having stolen the identity of Costa Rican, Jose Humberto Howell Brokke. Wright (50 years old), managed to marry a naturalized Costa Rican named Gloria Patricia Hernandez Navaez, and they had one child together. Navaez is originally from Colombia. She and Wright were working together in their own real estate firm. Navaez’ first husband was Costa Rican, and knew nothing of the identity fraud perpetrated by Wright.
The real Jose Howell discovered the identity theft in 2017, upon his arrival back from Aruba, where he had been living for four decades, unaware of the fraud. Howell had moved to Aruba with his parents at the age of eight. Somehow, the imposter Wright became aware that Howell was no longer in Costa Rica, and availed himself of the other man’s identity and name. Under the false name he was able to take out loans, get credit cards, get a gun permit, accumulate debt, and obtain a cedula under his adopted name.
It was not until the real Jose Howell tried to apply for his own cedula, that he was told he already had one, in fact had renewed it twice, and the authorities became aware that there was identity theft of Jose Howell’s legal name. The OIJ revealed the theft of identity in October 2018, but the case was not closed until December 2019.

Robert Wright was detained in 2018 in Guacima de Alajuela, carrying false documents. Charged with four counts of “ideological falsehood”, the courts eventually handed down a lighter sentence than most: 30 months in prison, vs. the usual 40 months for that crime. His lawyer argued that he was an upstanding businessman, husband and family man. The lawyer’s request for a community service sentence, was declined. Wright was given a 3-year conditional discharge, meaning he will not have to do prison time unless he breaks the law again.
He has apologized for his crime saying, “I am sorry for the behavior that I carried out in this country, I now wish to adjust my conduct, and work with the justice administration to make amends for committing these unlawful acts.”
Wright’s Spanish is virtually perfect after having lived as a Tico for a dozen years. He declined to explain why he decided to abandon his own identity as an American, and adopt that of Jose Howell Brokke. He was discovered as an identity thief using the help of US authorities called in to help identify the real Wright, and bring him to justice.
The court ordered the false identity records of Howell expunged, including his records in Immigration, and Civil and Firearms Registry. It remains a mystery why Wright chose this path, what or who he was hiding from, and if people other than Howell were hurt in the fraud.
Those who have lived in Costa Rica for numerous years have no doubt heard of real estate agents and companies operating fraudulently. This seems to be the first time a real estate agent has made his name and reputation completely from his own imagination, with the help of a Costa Rican’s borrowed good name

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