Trump DOJ charges illegal aliens in Boston with nearly $1.5 million in welfare fraud

The Trump Justice Department announced on Thursday in the Democrat-run sanctuary city of Boston that it has charged 11 illegal aliens and four Americans with over $1.4 million in alleged benefit fraud.

The defendants — at least six of whom are illegal aliens from the Dominican Republican and at least one of whom is from India — are accused of defrauding various welfare programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and MassHealth.

'They allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars each in benefits for which they are not entitled.'

"These cases highlight a broader, deeply troubling pattern: the exploitation of America’s safety-net by illegal aliens," Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald for the National Fraud Enforcement Division said in a statement.

The Trump administration, which has in recent months ramped up its crackdown on fraud, has long sought to eliminate the monetary incentive for foreign nationals to steal into the country and to pressure those noncitizens presently taking advantage of citizen supports to wean off them or hit the road.

In his Feb. 19, 2025, executive order titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders," President Donald Trump tasked agencies with taking meaningful steps "to prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet and fueling illegal immigration to the United States, and to ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens."

One of the agencies that promptly took action was the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which beefed up the minimum expectations for eligibility verification to prevent "ineligible aliens" from participating in the program.

While the USDA and other agencies were making it more difficult for those who would exploit citizen welfare programs, the DOJ is nabbing numerous fraudsters across the country who have already unlawfully enjoyed a fortune in benefits.

U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, who established a benefit and voter fraud team in March devoted to flushing out fraudsters in Massachusetts, said, "Today’s announcement is just the beginning."

"The defendants charged today stole from a number of programs, including SNAP and MassHealth — which are designed to assist U.S. citizens in need of food and health care," continued Foley. "They allegedly stole tens of thousands of dollars each in benefits for which they are not entitled."

The Massachusetts defendants charged this past week included:

• Santo Escolastico Cuello, a 56-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic who was living unlawfully in Worcester. Cuello is charged with aggravated identity theft and making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with $162,180 in MassHealth fraud.
• Mario Baez Romero, a 45-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic who was living unlawfully in Somerville. Romero has been charged with aggravated identity theft and passport fraud in connection with $26,942 in SNAP fraud and $48,785 in MassHealth fraud.
• Richard Odelis Vallegas Nunez, a 35-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic living unlawfully in Allston. He has been charged with aggravated identity theft and unlawful production of an identification document in connection with $48,865 in MassHealth fraud.
• Miguel Diaz Matos, a 54-year-old illegal alien from the Dominican Republic living unlawfully in Lynn. Matos is charged with illegal acquisition or use of SNAP benefits, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft in connection with $13,431 in SNAP fraud and $50,494 in MassHealth fraud.

If convicted, these and other similarly charged defendants could do some hard time.

SNAP fraud over $100 can result in a sentence of up to five years in prison, and SNAP fraud exceeding $5,000 can result in a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Both also carry a potential fine of $250,000.

A report published last week by the Center for Immigration Studies provided some startling insights into welfare use and abuse by noncitizens, about half of whom are apparently illegal immigrants.

Citing Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement data, the report said that 47% of households headed by noncitizens use one or more traditional welfare programs — 19 percentage points higher than the 28% for U.S.-born households.

"Noncitizens use traditional welfare or are EITC/ACTC eligible at higher rates than the U.S.-born in states with generous welfare systems, such as Massachusetts (61% vs. 36%) and Illinois (51% vs. 30%); and in states with less generous systems, like Arizona (60% vs. 30%) and Florida (53% vs. 30%)," said the report.

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