The Justice Department revealed on Tuesday that four individuals, including two from Venezuela, were implicated in a scheme that misappropriated $1 million through food stamp and pandemic unemployment fraud, utilizing 115 stolen identities.
According to federal prosecutors, the suspects stole identities from various individuals across the country, involving even six children. They used these identities to acquire Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as pandemic unemployment benefits in several states including Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington, and Nevada.
The accused include Joel Bicioso Fernandez, 42, and Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 37, both residents of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The other two, Roman Bekis Fernandez, 32, and Colalba Albarracín Siniba, 24, are Venezuelan nationals currently living in Leominster, Massachusetts.
The four allegedly created SNAP applications under more than 100 names, representing 24 “households.” These names were registered as residents of two single-family buildings located in Providence, Rhode Island.
Raul Fernández Vicioso and Joel Vicioso Fernández, both from the Dominican Republic, purportedly established fraudulent SNAP accounts using their personal details, and the applications included victims’ identity information.
Prosecutors indicated that the suspects also submitted images of fake passports and provided metadata revealing these images were captured near Raul’s El Primo Restaurant in Leominster.
The fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits were reportedly used to purchase large quantities of food items like chicken, beef, and pork from local suppliers, which were then used in the restaurant.
In addition to SNAP fraud, the group is accused of filing bogus claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), collecting around $700,000 from April 2020 to December 2021 across multiple states.
During the PUA application process, at least 29 different IDs were allegedly used, all linked back to El Primo Restaurant’s address. Prosecutors estimate that about $276,021 in fraudulent PUA benefits were funneled into bank accounts associated with the restaurant and its co-conspirators.
In a search of Raul Fernandez Vicioso’s home and restaurant, investigators uncovered a cache of stolen EBT cards from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, counterfeit documents, ledgers, handwritten lists of identities, and SNAP-related correspondence.
All four individuals face charges for conspiring to use, transfer, obtain, and possess SNAP benefits. Specifically, Raul Fernandez Vicioso is also charged with multiple counts including conspiracy to commit SNAP fraud and money laundering, while the others face charges related to the same conspiracy.
