Dominican Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing U.S. Citizen's Identity to Collect Over $72,000 in Benefits
Danis Piron Lara, 51, a Dominican man unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty on November 4 in federal court in Boston to stealing the identity of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico and using it to collect benefits he was not entitled to over roughly two decades: $57,289.26 in MassHealth health care benefits and $15,186 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, more than $72,000 in total.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, Piron Lara obtained various Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles identifications using the victim's name and other information. Beginning in 2005, he used the victim's identity to obtain MassHealth benefits in 2005, 2006, 2009 through 2014, 2016, and 2018 through March 2026, receiving $57,289.26 in total. Between April 2021 and March 2026, posing as the victim, he also received $15,186 in SNAP benefits.
Piron Lara was charged in March 2026 and pleaded guilty to unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits and making a false writing relating to health care matters. The SNAP charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine; the health care false statements charge carries up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor has scheduled sentencing for January 27, with the actual sentence to be imposed under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and governing statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, announced the plea along with officials from several other federal agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra K. Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. On March 26, 2026, Foley created the district-wide Benefit & Voter Fraud Team to respond to the benefit fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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