Two Dominican nationals were sentenced on July 9, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island for fraud schemes involving the use of stolen identities of American citizens to fraudulently obtain Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and unemployment benefits.
Jesus Matos Perez, 52, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to illegal entry, false representation of a Social Security number, healthcare and wire fraud.
According to court documents, Matos Perez used the stolen identities of two American citizens for about 10 years to fraudulently obtain approximately $75,000 of Medicaid, SNAP, and unemployment benefits.
William Jose Alejandro Arias Amador, 45, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to false representation of a Social Security number, healthcare and wire fraud.
According to court documents, upon his release from the Adult Correctional Institution, Arias Amador, who had amassed a significant criminal history in the identity of a United States citizen, fraudulently obtained Medicaid and SNAP benefits using the stolen identity and Social Security number of the same individual.
“The message from these sentences is straightforward,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “If you steal identities and exploit government programs for personal gain, we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to identify, prosecute, and seek meaningful consequences. Protecting the integrity of taxpayer-funded benefit programs from fraud remains a top priority of this office and the Department of Justice.”
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SNAP helps about 41 million people buy groceries through an electronic benefit transfer card that's mailed to people with low incomes. SNAP recipients can spend benefits from that card at SNAP retailers nationwide. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture has cracked down on people who steal from the program over the last year or so and has arrested nearly 1,000 people accused of committing SNAP fraud since February 2025.
🚨 TUESDAY TAKEDOWN 🚨
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) June 23, 2026
Steal from SNAP. Get caught and arrested.
8 fraudsters just learned the hard way: the @USDA_FNA is watching.
Amounts ranged from $1,000+ to a staggering $2.8 MILLION — all stolen from the program meant to help American families.
Since February 2025, we’ve… pic.twitter.com/QAwMENCl9E
Assistant United States Attorney Dulce Donovan and Special Assistant United States Attorney John Moreria prosecuted the cases.
The matters were investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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