Federal prosecutors say a Providence man, Felipe Almonte Polanco, was charged in an alleged scheme that used the identities of at least 18 people, including a deceased person, to obtain roughly $69,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

A federal grand jury in Rhode Island returned a four-count indictment against Felipe Almonte Polanco, 57, charging him with wire fraud, theft of public money, false representation of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment ties those counts to an alleged plan to obtain SNAP benefits by submitting fraudulent applications in other people’s names. Authorities say the scheme targeted both living people and at least one deceased individual.

Investigators with the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit and Program Integrity began the inquiry after spotting fraudulent applications filed in the name of a person who had died. Their work initially focused on how an application in a deceased person’s name could move forward and lead to benefit issuance. That review expanded as patterns emerged pointing to multiple linked accounts and card uses.

According to court filings, the probe found that Polanco submitted SNAP applications using the identities of several victims and then used the electronic benefit transfer cards to buy goods at stores across Rhode Island. Officials say the benefits were intended to feed low-income families but were instead diverted through these allegedly false accounts. The indictment details how cards issued under stolen identities were checked for balances and then spent at retail locations.

Polanco is no stranger to identity-related charges; he was previously convicted in the Western District of New York for making false statements on a passport application and for aggravated identity theft. That prior conviction appears in the court record and was cited as background in the new indictment. Federal prosecutors often note prior convictions when alleging repeated or ongoing criminal conduct.

The new indictment alleges that between October 2021 and April 2026 Polanco made balance inquiries on Rhode Island EBT cards tied to the stolen identities of at least 18 people, and that he personally used cards issued in the names of at least nine victims. Those allegations cover repeated interactions with electronic benefit accounts over several years.

When agents executed a search warrant at Polanco’s residence they reportedly recovered multiple EBT cards and materials that could be used to manufacture identification documents. The seized items are listed in court reports and are being analyzed by investigators. Prosecutors estimate the scheme yielded about $69,000 in SNAP benefits that were obtained fraudulently.

A federal indictment is an accusation and not proof of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. That standard applies regardless of the allegations or the number of agencies involved in the investigation. Any criminal case must still be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at trial or resolved through plea proceedings.

The SNAP program serves roughly 41 million people across the country and combines federal funding with state administration, a structure that can complicate oversight and eligibility enforcement. States run the day-to-day eligibility determinations and distribution, while federal rules and funding set the baseline parameters. Recent policy shifts have aimed to reduce improper payments by placing more financial responsibility on states that exhibit high error rates.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has said she is reforming SNAP to address what she describes as widespread fraud within the program. That reform effort includes measures designed to tighten controls and improve detection of fraudulent activity.

The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan and Special Assistant United States Attorney John M. Moreira. Multiple federal and state agencies participated in the investigation, including the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit and Program Integrity, and the Rhode Island Department of Human Services. Court proceedings will determine how the allegations are resolved going forward.