Federal prosecutors say a multi-state identity-theft ring used more than 100 stolen identities to siphon SNAP and unemployment benefits, supplying a restaurant and wiring proceeds overseas while four people face criminal charges.
Three people were arrested and a fourth was charged in connection with a scheme that allegedly used stolen personal information to obtain roughly $440,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Authorities say the same network also fraudulently collected more than $700,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance across several states during the pandemic period.
The complaint and information filed in federal court name four defendants: Joel Vicioso Fernandez, 42, of Fitchburg; Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, identified as a Venezuelan national residing in Leominster; Coralba Albarracin Siniva, 24, also a Venezuelan national living in Leominster; and Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 37, of Fitchburg. Three appeared in federal court in Worcester and Raul Fernandez Vicioso has been charged separately and will appear at a later date.
Prosecutors allege the group purchased stolen identities from people in multiple states and used that data to create SNAP applications listing 24 households. More than 100 real people’s identities were allegedly listed in applications that all used addresses tied to two single-family apartments in Providence, Rhode Island.
Investigators say some stolen identities originated in Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico and were used to request SNAP benefits in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In a pattern investigators describe as systematic, at least 29 identities were also allegedly used in PUA applications spanning Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada during the period from April 2020 through December 2021.
According to charging documents, some of the defendants allegedly mixed their own information among victim identities to create fraudulent SNAP accounts, and they submitted counterfeit passports and passport cards as supporting documents. Metadata on some images reportedly pointed to locations tied to El Primo Restaurant, a Leominster business operated by Raul Fernandez Vicioso, placing the fabrication of documents near the restaurant.
Prosecutors contend the fraud didn’t end with paperwork. The complaint claims the defendants used fraudulently obtained EBT cards to buy large, bulk quantities of chicken, beef and pork from wholesalers and food markets, then stocked El Primo Restaurant at no cost. With supplies allegedly obtained on fraudulent SNAP benefits, the restaurant sold menu items for profit while funds were moved, in part, to recipients in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
Bank records described in the charging papers reportedly show approximately $276,021 in fraudulent PUA deposits going into accounts tied to El Primo Restaurant and the named defendants, with additional benefit payments loading onto prepaid cards linked to the scheme. Documents recovered in searches of the restaurant and a defendant’s residence included SNAP cards, paperwork listing a Providence address, printed ledgers and handwritten lists with more than 100 identities and SNAP-related mailings.
The criminal counts carry serious penalties if convictions follow. Conspiracy to Commit SNAP Fraud and illegal use of SNAP benefits each carry up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and money laundering carry potential sentences up to 20 years, with money laundering fines up to $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
Federal authorities identified numerous partners and units that assisted in the investigation, including federal inspector general offices, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations and state and local law enforcement in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The charging documents and the timeline of alleged activity reflect a coordinated probe that drew on records from multiple states and agencies.
The complaint alleges the defendants created numerous fake residential and employment records to support SNAP and PUA claims, repeatedly listing El Primo Restaurant or associated addresses as the contact or residential location for those identities. Prosecutors say those fabricated links helped route benefits and deposit fraudulent payments into accounts controlled by the conspirators or into cards used by co-conspirators.
Searching the restaurant and a defendant’s home reportedly produced a trove of physical evidence investigators say ties the operation together: EBT cards issued in multiple states, documents connected to a Providence address used in applications, and written lists cataloging the identities used in the scheme. Those items are described in the charging papers as part of the documentary trail behind the alleged fraud.
