A woman in Florida is accused of living under a false identity for more than a decade and using the false name to collect nearly $40,000 in federal food benefits, federal officials said.
Now, she’ll spend years in prison.
The 38-year-old from Kissimmee was born in Puerto Rico and lived there until 2008 , according to a Feb. 2 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
An attorney representing the woman could not immediately be reached for comment by McClatchy News.
In 2005, the woman was charged with counterfeiting and illegal appropriation by law enforcement in Puerto Rico, federal officials said, but an arrest warrant wasn’t issued until three years later.
Instead of facing the warrant, the woman moved to the continental U.S. and used a stolen identity to create an “identification card” and a Florida driver’s license, federal officials said.
From 2008 to 2023, she lived her life under the false identity, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
She got married, and then later divorced, under the name, was arrested using the false name, used the name on employment records and tax forms and applied for federal benefits, officials said.