BOSTON (WWLP) – The Justice Department has charged a man in Worcester with allegedly using the identity of a deceased U.S. citizen to fraudulently obtain SNAP benefits.
In a news release by the Department of Justice, John Doe, whose true identity is alleged to be that of a 57-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic believed to be unlawfully present in the United States, allegedly used the stolen identity to apply for and obtain approximately $12,623 in SNAP benefits from April 2022 through February 2026.
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According to the charging documents, since at least 2001, John Doe has been living in Massachusetts under the identity of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico who died in 2006. It is alleged that under the deceased citizen’s identity, the defendant fraudulently obtained Massachusetts identification cards and a Social Security card.
According to the charging documents, the DTA employee noted in the file: “Death match ??? – reviewing with suoervisor [sic]” – apparently indicating that the Social Security number that John Doe allegedly provided corresponded to a deceased person. However, the application was ultimately approved by the Massachusetts DTA, and John Doe allegedly proceeded to collect SNAP benefits…