The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced yesterday a major bust related to SNAP and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefit fraud across multiple states.
According to the press release, the four were charged with stealing the identities of more than 100 individuals. They used those stolen identities to obtain more than $400,000 in SNAP and more than $700,000 in PUA benefits.
🚨 Four charged w/ alleged fraud scheme that used 115 stolen identities to obtain millions in SNAP and PUA benefits across multiple states. Allegedly used SNAP cards to stock restaurant; wired proceeds to Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
— U.S. Attorney Massachusetts (@DMAnews1) February 3, 2026
READ: https://t.co/BpFde3uWsF pic.twitter.com/ZTvVCqImTT
The following defendants have been charged by criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Use, Transfer, Acquire and Possess SNAP benefits and will appear in federal court in Worcester at 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. this afternoon:
- Joel Vicioso Fernandez, 42, of Fitchburg, Mass.;
- Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, a Venezuelan national living in Leominster, Mass.; and
- Coralba Albarracin Siniva, 24, a Venezuelan national living in Leominster, Mass.
Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 37, of Fitchburg, Mass., has been charged with Conspiracy to Commit SNAP Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, SNAP benefit Fraud, Aiding and Abetting and Money Laundering. He will appear in federal court in Worcester at a later date.
Proceeds from the fraud were wired to Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
This isn't the first major SNAP-related fraud bust, either. In late January, a Fresno man was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay almost $3.5 million in restitution after he was convicted of exchanging SNAP benefits for cash and using SNAP for unauthorized purchases. In Maryland, a man was caught using dozens of stolen identities to obtain SNAP benefits and a former USDA employee was slapped with an order for $36 million in restitution for selling SNAP data to criminals.
