Nicholas J. Ganjei United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas
A Colombian national residing illegally in Houston has been charged with theft of government funds, false representation as a U.S. citizen, and aggravated identity theft, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Javier Alfonso Nunez Suarez, 39, is scheduled for his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho at 2 p.m. The indictment, unsealed on May 15, accuses Suarez of fraudulently obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits in February 2016 by posing as a U.S. citizen and subsequently qualifying for Medicaid benefits.
The charges indicate that Suarez continued to receive both SSA disability and Medicaid benefits until his arrest, leading to the theft of government funds totaling more than $588,000.
If found guilty, Suarez could face up to 10 years in prison and a possible maximum fine of $250,000 for each charge. He also faces an additional two-year prison sentence for aggravated identity theft, which would be served consecutively to any other imposed prison term.
The investigation was conducted by the SSA-Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden is handling the prosecution.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct and not evidence of guilt. A defendant remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process of law.
