BOSTON - A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Alejandro Yoel Diaz Diaz, 28, a Dominican national formerly residing in Lawrence, pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Nov. 1, 2019.
On Aug. 1, 2017, Diaz Diaz applied for a Massachusetts identification card using the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a Puerto Rican born United States citizen. At the time of his arrest in April 2019, Diaz Diaz was on probation out of Lawrence District Court for distribution of heroin in the United States citizen’s identity. Diaz Diaz was identified, among other things, from a fingerprint match with a Dominican Republic identification document issued to him and bearing his photo.
The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Diaz Diaz will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jason Molina, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey E. Weinstein of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
