A Boston federal judge charged 25 people — including 21 residing in the U.S. illegally — with alleged identity and benefit fraud on Thursday as part of a federal crackdown on document and benefit fraud.
Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF) worked with local, state, and federal agencies to crack down on individuals who are believed to have stolen identities from U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico to obtain federal benefits and other federal documents, the Justice Department announced Thursday.
Many of those investigated in DBFTF’s “Double Trouble” investigation were allegedly illegal aliens from the Dominican Republic who allegedly used the fake identities to obtain driver’s licenses, Medicaid, Social Security, unemployment, and subsidies for public housing.
Officials say the Dominican nationals lived in Massachusetts and victimized American citizens living in Puerto Rico. When investigators compared public benefits records, they discovered the identities of people concurrently receiving benefits in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico, officials say.
The 25 defendants face multiple charges — including aggravated identity theft, false representation of Social Security benefits, and theft of government funds.
Of the following individuals charged by federal prosecutors, only four suspects were living in the U.S. legally.
Here are the 21 suspects who were found to be living in the U.S. illegally according to the Justice Department:
Alejandra Eulalia Baez Arias, 40, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Saddan Rafael Bautista Diaz, 27, a Dominican national residing in Dorchester, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Kelvin Bautista Valdez, 31, Dominican national residing in Lynn, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Robert Crisologo Bobadilla Baez, 43, a Dominican national formerly residing in Mattapan, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number. Bobadilla Baez is already in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Fernando Cedeno Carpio, 34, a Dominican national residing in Houston, Texas, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Fausto Feliz Feliz, 39, a Dominican national residing in Malden, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Luis Alberto Fernandez Fernandez, 27, a Dominican national residing in Salem with legal permanent resident status, was charged with one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Domingo Garcia Suero, 54, a Dominican national formerly residing in Haverhill, was indicted in May 2018 on five counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl; one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm; two counts of false representation of a Social Security number; and one count of aggravated identity theft. Garcia Suero is already in federal custody.
Santo Jesus Gonzalez Villar, 48, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Ramon Lara Martinez, 45, a Dominican national residing in Hyde Park, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Viterbo Enrique Minaya Melo, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number. Minaya Melo is currently in state custody.
Ulises Francisco Mota Carmona, 35, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Yhoan Alexis Nivar Rodriguez, 29, a Dominican national residing in Mattapan with legal permanent resident status, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
James Alfred Pena Guerrero, 30, a Dominican national residing in Dorchester, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Ramona Maribel Perez Peguero, 38, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was charged with one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Fiumen Alexis Pimentel, 47, a Dominican national residing in Hyde Park, was charged with identity fraud.
Jose Mercedes Polanco Guerrero, 47, a Dominican national residing in Dorchester, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Joaquin Ruiz Mota, 47, a Dominican national residing in Dorchester, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of misuse of a Social Security number.
Carmen Sanchez Garcia De Martinez, 64, a Dominican and/or Venezuelan national residing in Springfield, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Wanyer Manuel Soto Pimentel, 27, a Dominican national residing in Roslindale, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Edward Elias Villar Ortiz, 42, a Dominican national residing in Brockton, was charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
Other illegal aliens have recently made the news for being convicted of stealing the identities of American citizens. Andres Avelino Anduaga, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty in March to theft of public property and being in the U.S. illegally.
Anduaga defrauded local, state, and federal agencies out of more than $350,000 and assumed the fake identity of an American citizen for more than 30 years. He then used his fake identity to commit crimes over the past 22 years.
A federal judge recently sentenced Anduaga to 37 months in prison and ordered him to repay $360,908.85 to San Diego County, the Social Security Administration, and the California Department of Healthcare Services.
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