Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
Nine individuals have been charged in a federal crackdown on benefit fraud schemes that used stolen identities to obtain nearly $1 million from programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), MassHealth, and Social Security, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley on Mar. 26.
The charges are part of ongoing efforts to address fraudulent claims on taxpayer-funded benefits, which authorities say undermine the integrity of public assistance programs and cost millions of dollars. Nearly $9 million in benefit fraud has been uncovered since December 2025.
According to charging documents, the defendants allegedly used stolen identities—often those belonging to U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico—to secure government-issued identification like Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles credentials and U.S. passports. These documents were then used to apply for and receive various public benefits over extended periods, with one individual reportedly living under a false identity for more than two decades.
The nine individuals face charges ranging from unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits and aggravated identity theft to making false statements related to health care programs and misuse of Social Security numbers. The alleged schemes resulted in approximately $943,197 in losses: about $149,775 from SNAP benefits, roughly $776,715 from MassHealth benefits, and around $16,707 from Social Security benefits.
Authorities said that some defendants provided stolen identities during prior arrests or had previous convictions under assumed names. If convicted, those charged could face significant prison sentences—up to 20 years for unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits—and fines up to $250,000 per count depending on the offense.
Foley was joined by officials from Homeland Security Investigations; the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General in announcing the cases. "The details contained in the charging document are allegations," Foley said. "The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law."
