A Dominican national residing in Fall River has been sentenced for passport fraud and identity theft. Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years and one day in prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Arias Mejia is also subject to deportation after serving his sentence.
In March 2025, Arias Mejia pleaded guilty to charges including misuse of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft, and making a false statement in an application for a United States passport. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2023.
According to court documents, Arias Mejia had unlawfully used the identity of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico since at least 2011. That year, he was convicted in Fall River District Court of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon under the stolen identity and served an 18-month jail sentence. In 2016, he was again convicted using the same identity for three counts of possession with intent to distribute drugs and received a two-year jail sentence.
The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), which includes personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies specializing in document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. Assistance came from multiple agencies including Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin prosecuted the case.
