New Bedford Man Charged in $943K Federal Benefit Fraud Scheme

BOSTON (WBSM) — A New Bedford man is among nine people charged in a coordinated federal crackdown on benefit fraud schemes.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the nine individuals allegedly “exploited stolen identities to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), MassHealth and Social Security benefits.”

The charging documents allege that a total of about $943,197 was fraudulently paid from public assistance programs, including $149,775 in SNAP benefits, $776,715 in MassHealth benefits and $16,707 in Social Security benefits. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said nearly $9 million in benefit fraud has been uncovered since December 2025.

READ MORE: New Bedford Couple Admits to $750K Insurance Fraud

Efrain Rivera, 54, is a native of Puerto Rico now living in New Bedford. He was charged with unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits, misuse of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft.

Get our free mobile app

Who Else Was Charged in the Federal Crackdown?

Others charged over the past nine weeks as part of the ongoing effort included:

• Juan Felipe Chalas, 58, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Salem, New Hampshire, charged with making a false statement in a passport application, aggravated identity theft and unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits
• Danis Piron Lara, 51, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, charged with aggravated identity theft, unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits and making false statements relating to a health care program
• Erpawi Roque Collado, 53, a lawful permanent resident living in Boston, who was born in the Dominican Republic, charged with unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits
• John Doe, also known as Wilkin Emilio Pimental Pereyra, 44, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Boston, Mass., was charged with aggravated identity theft, theft of government benefits and unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits
• John Doe, an individual whose true identity is unknown, who was living in Hyde Park, charged with unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits, misuse of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft
• Mercedes Soto Capellan, 53, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lawrence, charged with unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits
• Oscar Gonzalez Melo, 59, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Boston, charged with unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits, making false statements related to health care benefits, making false statements related to Social Security benefits and aggravated identity theft
• Cruz Augusta Pena Arias, 58, a Dominican national unlawfully residing in Salem, charged with making a false statement in an application for a United States passport, aggravated identity theft and unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits

How the $943K Benefit Fraud Scheme Worked

It is alleged that the defendants used stolen identities, often belonging to U.S. citizens from Puerto Rico, to obtain government-issued identification. That included Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles credentials and U.S. passports.

How Stolen Identities Were Used

“In some cases, the defendants are alleged to have used stolen identities over extended periods of time – including one individual who allegedly lived under a stolen identity for more than 20 years. Certain defendants are further alleged to have obtained benefits across multiple programs, including SNAP, MassHealth and Social Security,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The defendants also allegedly provided the stolen identities to law enforcement during prior arrests, and at least one has a prior conviction under one of the stolen identities.

Potential Penalties for Each Charge

• The charge of unlawfully obtaining SNAP benefits 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 aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
• The charge of misusing a Social Security number 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 theft of government property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
• The charge of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.
• The charge of making false statements relating to a health care program provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.