Man Accused of Fraud for Taking Wife's Surname After Marriage
Legal news comes in various flavors. This news story can be categorized under the "odd and unfortunate." Mr. Lazaro Sopena, a Cuban-born immigrant, agreed to take his wife's surname of Dinh after they became married. The reason was sweet, and dubbed an "act of love", as Mr. Sopena offered to take his wife, Hanh Dinh's, surname so that her family could perpetuate the name beyond the current generation. After marriage, the new Mr. Dinh, like spouses of the opposite sex, obtained a new passport and social security card, changed his accounts, and then subsequently applied to update his drivers license, all with his new name. Mr. Dinh's act of love, however, was cut off by the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. One year after obtaining his license, the DMV wrote to inform Mr. Dinh that his acts were fraudulent.When he explained that he changed his name because of his marriage, he was told that the law only applies to spouses of the female gender. ...