A federal court in Boston has witnessed a plea from Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, a Dominican national living in Leominster, regarding charges linked to passport fraud and associated crimes. Arias Mejia has admitted guilt for aggravated identity theft and lying on a United States passport application. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns has scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. In December 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Arias Mejia.
The charges arose from Arias Mejia's use of a Puerto Rican resident's identity to apply for both a U.S. passport and a Massachusetts Real ID. He submitted a Massachusetts driver’s license with his photo but under the citizen's name, a Social Security card, and a Puerto Rican birth certificate. On February 25, 2020, he applied for a U.S. passport using these documents, which was later issued.
Authorities discovered Arias Mejia's fraudulent actions while investigating dual government benefit claims in Boston and Puerto Rico. They interviewed the benefit recipient in Puerto Rico and established legitimacy. Further inquiry showed that benefits in Boston under the same name were being claimed by Arias Mejia since at least 2011.
The false statement charge could result in up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The identity theft charge carries a mandatory two-year consecutive prison term, up to one year of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Deportation follows the completion of any sentence imposed. Judges apply the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes for sentencing.
The Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force led the investigation with multiple state, local, and federal agencies' involvement. The announcement came from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin is prosecuting the case.
