BOSTON (WHDH) - Twelve Bay State residents accused of using the identities of U.S. citizens in Puerto Rico to obtain public benefits are facing federal charges in connection with a massive investigation of document and benefit fraud, officials announced Thursday.
Six of the defendants, 10 of whom were living in the U.S. illegally, have criminal records in the names of the victims whose identities they stole, according to an announcement issued by U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling’s Office.
An investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force determined that many of the defendants used the identities to obtain public benefits, which they would not otherwise be eligible to receive, including Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles identity documents, Social Security numbers, and Medicaid, and to engage in suspicious financial transactions, including transferring funds.
The following have been charged in federal court in Boston with aggravated identity theft and false representation of a social security number.
- David Alexander Arias Arias, 31, a Dominican national currently serving a 41-month sentence in federal prison in Pennsylvania. In 2017, Arias Arias was caught on a court-authorized wiretap dealing fentanyl under his stolen identity; he was subsequently charged in federal court in New Hampshire. At the time of his arrest, Arias Arias was known to reside in Lawrence.
- Jose Miguel Baez, 43, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence. Baez has received more than $8400 in unemployment benefits in his victim’s name.
- Rafael Emilio Cruz Ciprian, 26, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence. Cruz Ciprian was arrested in Lowell on Aug. 4, 2018, on various charges, including giving false name/information to an officer and distribution of a Class A substance. During the arrest, Cruz Ciprian provided law enforcement with the identity of the victim whose identity was stolen.
- Alejandro Yoel Diaz Diaz, 28, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence. Diaz Diaz has been arrested twice for drug dealing; on both occasions he provided his victim’s identity to law enforcement as his own.
- Lilian Fana Martinez, 28, a Dominican national residing in Methuen, who, during multiple arrests, has presented the victim’s stolen identity to law enforcement as her own.
- Mirtha Magdalenny Lara Lara, 31, a Dominican national living in Lawrence with lawful permanent residence status.
- Elluz Yelitza Penalo Aguasvivas, 30, a Venezuelan national residing in Lawrence.
- Ismael Robles Tejeda, 29, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence.
- Francisco Antonio Sanchez Bernabe, 48, a Dominican national residing in Methuen. Sanchez Bernabe has been arrested/and or charged three times in Massachusetts: in May 2015, for possession and distribution of heroin; in April 2017, for possession to distribute a Class A substance; and in August 2017, for failure to stop for a police officer. During each of these arrests, Sanchez Bernabe provided the victim’s identity to the police as his own.
- Damarys Sanchez Sanchez, 44, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was charged only with misuse of a Social Security number.
- Santo Pascual Soto Diaz, 38, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence.
- Freddy Tejada-Diaz, a/k/a Freddy Tejada Zapata; a/k/a Freddy Tejadadia; a/k/a Fredy Zapata; a/k/a Fredy Antonio Zapata-Soto, 52, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence. Tejada-Diaz was ordered deported in 1996 by a judge in New York, though Tejada-Diaz failed to appear on the court date the judge ordered him removed. Tejada-Diaz never left; instead, he assumed a new identity and was eventually arrested for shoplifting in New Hampshire under his victim’s name.
In a statement State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin said, “Document and identity fraud are serious crimes with far-reaching and significant consequences for the individual victims, and which carry the potential for a broader threat to public safety and homeland security. We were pleased to be able to work with our law enforcement partners on this important operation.”
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