Four men in Massachusetts have been charged in a massive fraud scheme involving SNAP and stolen identities. They didn't defraud the system as much as the two Haitian nationals in Boston who ran a $7 million SNAP fraud scheme, involving fake retail stores that reportedly generated up to $480,000 per month. These four amateurs only managed to bilk the system for $1 million.
BREAKING: Four individuals ARRESTED in Massachusetts for stealing more than $1 MILLION in food stamps using 115 stolen identities.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 5, 2026
The individuals charged are:
-Raul Fernandez Vicioso, Dominican citizen (pictured below using a fraudulently obtained SNAP card)
-Joel Vicioso… pic.twitter.com/zyqALoqjFH
The post continues:
… Fernandez
-Roman Vequiz Fernandez, Venezuelan national
-Coralba Albarracin Siniva, Venezuelan national
The thing that never happens happened again!
Fox News reports:
Four people, including two Venezuelan citizens, used 115 stolen identities in a $1 million food stamps and pandemic unemployment fraud scheme, the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Federal prosecutors said the suspects stole the identities from people all across the country, including six children, to obtain supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and pandemic unemployment benefits from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington and Nevada.
…
The suspects also provided images of counterfeit passports and passport cards, with metadata that indicated the images were taken inside or within the immediate vicinity of El Primo Restaurant — a restaurant operated by Raul Fernandez Vicioso in Leominster, Massachusetts, federal prosecutors said.
The SNAP benefits were used to make bulk purchases of food items, including multiple-pound packages of chicken, beef and pork, at various local wholesalers and food markets to stock El Primo Restaurant, authorities said.
"With their supplies obtained for free through fraudulent SNAP benefits, they prepared and then sold menu items at El Primo Restaurant at a complete profit, later wiring the fraud proceeds, among other places, to individuals living in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic," the Justice Department said.
Recommended
"Massachusetts restaurateurs."
We were told that this never happens…
— J 🎙️ (@blackhawkce457) February 5, 2026
Imagine how much more there is out there
— Washingtons ghost (@washghost1) February 5, 2026
SHOCKING!!!!
— FrequentFlyer1 (@greg_boxberger) February 5, 2026
Fraud is so rampant
— Pritchbloc (@pritchbloc) February 5, 2026
Reason 54 why I feel like a dork everytime I faithfully file and pay my taxes every year.
— Rusty (@isrustydotnet) February 5, 2026
Put them in prison for 20 years
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 5, 2026
They learned to run scams in their home country. Then their government released them from prison and sent them up here. How many of these criminals are running around ripping us off?
— griffitovic (@griffitovic) February 5, 2026
When a system is this easy to exploit, the government is essentially subsidizing professional identity theft
— Ryan (@Ryan_liberricky) February 5, 2026
We've really been blind to how easy the system is to exploit. Even illegal immigrants can figure it out to the tune of billions of dollars.
Imagine walking off your job or out of school to march to keep ICE from detaining these people.
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