A federal indictment alleges a Dominican national living unlawfully in Massachusetts stole an American identity to collect roughly $44,000 in pandemic unemployment and SNAP benefits, and the case has become part of wider federal efforts to hunt down benefit fraud.
A federal grand jury returned charges against a 40-year-old Dominican national in connection with a scheme that prosecutors say used a stolen identity to claim pandemic relief and food assistance. Authorities say the case exposes how organized misuse of relief programs drains taxpayer dollars and undermines trust in benefit systems.
The defendant, identified by prosecutors as Arvaro Montero Diaz, faces two counts of wire fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of theft of government money, and one count of SNAP fraud. He was initially arrested on March 9, 2026, and released on pretrial conditions after a detention hearing on March 12, 2026, with a future appearance scheduled in federal court in Boston.
According to the indictment, Montero Diaz allegedly used the identity of a U.S. citizen to apply for and receive approximately $30,000 in unemployment benefits issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Prosecutors also allege he obtained about $14,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits using that same stolen identity, bringing the total to roughly $44,000.
The statutory penalties are stiff and reflect the federal government’s focus on benefit fraud. Wire fraud and SNAP fraud each carry potential sentences of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000. The theft of government money charge carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years, three years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000.
Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum prison term of two years, plus a period of supervised release and fines up to $250,000, meaning judges have limited discretion to go below that floor when a conviction is secured. Sentences are ultimately determined by a federal district judge guided by the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable statutes.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the indictment alongside senior investigators from multiple agencies, underscoring that several federal offices coordinated on the case. Officials who participated in the announcement included the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations in New England, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, with Assistant U.S. Attorney John Potapchuk prosecuting the matter.
On March 26, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office established a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team to zero in on misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits across the district. That team is led by senior prosecutors designated as Fraud Coordinators to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud schemes that steal public funds and weaken program integrity.
Shortly afterward, on April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division to centralize and intensify fraud prosecutions nationwide. The new division works with broader federal initiatives, including President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance, aimed at stamping out fraud, waste, and abuse in federal benefit programs.
Officials say the charging document contains allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Members of the public in Massachusetts are urged to report suspected benefit fraud by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621).
