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A nationwide welfare fraud crackdown reached Massachusetts this week, as federal authorities announced the arrests of 15 people — 11 of them illegal immigrants — accused of stealing more than $1.4 million in American taxpayer-funded benefits.
The defendants are accused of fraudulently obtaining benefits through programs including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance, MassHealth, Social Security disability payments, housing assistance and unemployment benefits, according to the Department of Justice.
“Alarmingly, 11 of the 15 charged defendants are suspected illegal aliens, some of whom assumed stolen identities to steal these taxpayer-funded benefits and avoid detection,” Acting Assistant Attorney General Colin MacDonald said during a Thursday press conference in Boston.
Officials said one defendant, Heriberto Rodriguez of Framingham, Massachusetts, is accused of carrying out more than $546,000 in benefit fraud involving MassHealth, Social Security, housing assistance and SNAP benefits. Several other suspects allegedly obtained tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded assistance through false statements, identity theft and other fraud schemes.
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MacDonald argued the alleged crimes did more than drain public coffers, saying some Americans were effectively locked out of programs intended to help them because their identities had already been used by fraudsters.
“In some cases, the victims of these crimes, the rightful beneficiaries of these funds, could not access benefits they needed,” MacDonald said. “American citizens were boxed out of these programs because illegal aliens took their names to then take their money.”
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said the arrests represent only the latest phase of a broader federal effort targeting fraud across Massachusetts.
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According to Foley, federal prosecutors have charged more than 65 defendants in fraud-related cases since January, alleging more than $56 million in losses. Combined with previously announced cases, authorities say they have charged roughly $63 million in alleged fraud losses over the last seven months.
Foley described the cases announced Thursday as evidence of “unchecked, unbridled, rampant fraud” across the Commonwealth.
“There isn’t any place else in the world where you can go and be handed free food, free housing, free healthcare and free monthly checks while being in the country illegally,” Foley said. “However, it appears that you can come to Massachusetts and steal as many benefits as you want without fear and without any accountability.”
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Federal officials said the investigation was conducted with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and multiple inspector general offices. They vowed additional arrests and charges are forthcoming as investigators continue examining benefit programs for fraud.
“The further we look, the more fraud we find,” MacDonald said. “And this is just the beginning of our work.”
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