Four Charged in Multi-State SNAP and PUA Fraud Conspiracy

BOSTON - Three individuals have been arrested, and another individual has been charged, with an alleged fraud scheme that used the stolen identities of more than 100 individuals to obtain $440,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The defendants are also alleged to have fraudulently obtained over $700,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio Washington and Nevada.

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:

1. Joel Vicioso Fernandez, 42, of Fitchburg, Mass.;
2. Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, a Venezuelan national living in Leominster, Mass.; and
3. 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.

According to the charging documents, the defendants and their co-conspirators purchased and used the stolen personal information of over 100 real people from multiple states to fraudulently obtain SNAP benefits. The stolen identities were used to create 24 "households" in SNAP applications. All of these applications, submitted in the names of over 100 people, were listed as living in two single-family apartments in Providence, R.I.

A number of the stolen identities from Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico were used to fraudulently obtain SNAP benefits in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

It is further alleged that Raul Fernandez Vicioso and Joel Vicioso Fernandez used their own personal information to create fraudulent SNAP benefit accounts that were found commingled among the victim identities in the applications. In support of the fraudulently submitted SNAP applications, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly 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, Mass.

The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly used the fraudulent SNAP benefits cards to purchase large quantities of expensive bulk food items (such as multiple-pound packages of chicken, beef and pork) at various local wholesalers and food markets to stock El Primo Restaurant at no expense. 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.

According to the charging documents, between April 2020 and December 2021, the defendants and their co-conspirators further enriched themselves by over $700,000 by submitting fraudulent applications and supporting documents for PUA in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada. The fraudulent PUA benefits were issued in the names of Raul Fernandez Vicioso, Joel Vicioso Fernandez and in the names of suspected identity theft victims, including identities common to the related the SNAP benefit fraud. At least 29 different identities were allegedly used in PUA applications in six different states - all of which listed the address for El Primo Restaurant as the residential address. Bank records obtained during the investigation detail approximately $276,021 in fraudulent PUA benefits deposited into bank accounts held in the names of the El Primo Restaurant, Raul Fernandez Vicioso, Joel Vicioso Fernandez and other co-conspirators. Other fraudulent PUA benefits were allegedly issued to prepaid cards in the identities of the various individuals which were applied for using known addresses and telephone numbers of the subjects.

During searches of Raul Fernandez Vicioso's residence and the El Primo Restaurant fraudulently obtained Massachusetts and Rhode Island EBT cards, fraudulent documents bearing a Providence address involved in the alleged scheme, printed ledgers and handwritten lists of more than 100 identities and SNAP-related mailings were recovered.

Fraud, waste or abuse can be reported to the Council of the Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency: https://www.oversight.gov/where-report-fraud-waste-abuse-or-retaliationLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.

The charge of Conspiracy to Commit SNAP Fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 The charge of illegal acquisition or use of SNAP benefits provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; Anthony P. D'Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service; Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit - Fraud Detection & Prevention Unit; Massachusetts State Police; and the Fitchburg and Leominster Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.