A Pawtucket resident, Reynaldo Martinez, has admitted to defrauding federally funded benefit programs and altering U.S. Treasury checks. Martinez, 32, confessed to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the U.S. Treasury, totaling over $100,000, as noted by Acting U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. The defendant secured at least 40 SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer cards using stolen identities and Social Security numbers.
According to court records, Martinez visited several Rhode Island Department of Human Services offices with fraudulent identification to apply for SNAP benefits using Social Security numbers from deceased individuals, living adults, and one juvenile, securing at least $33,192.36 in benefits.
In a separate scheme, Martinez admitted to cashing altered U.S. Treasury checks. He, along with co-conspirators, altered checks meant for others to match counterfeit licenses they used to cash or deposit these checks, amounting to $79,532.32.
Martinez pleaded guilty to two conspiracy counts and one count each of Social Security number misuse and aggravated identity theft. Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025, and will be determined by a federal judge based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors.
Previously arrested and convicted for fraud and other charges since 2012, Martinez pleaded guilty in 2017 to multiple counts involving identity theft, fraud, and attempted fraud, resulting in a 48-month sentence and subsequent supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter I Roklan is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by several organizations, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General, and multiple Rhode Island police departments.
