Massachusetts Welfare Heist Unmasked

File folders labeled insurance, fraud, claims, investigation.

Eleven illegal aliens are among 15 people charged with stealing over $1.4 million in taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts — and some hid behind stolen American identities to do it.

Story Snapshot

Federal prosecutors charged 15 people — 11 of them illegal aliens — with more than $1.4 million in public benefits fraud in Massachusetts.
Several suspects used stolen identities to fraudulently collect food stamps, Medicaid, Social Security, housing aid, and unemployment benefits.
Four defendants remain unidentified; investigators still don’t know their real names.
The arrests are part of a broader crackdown that has uncovered roughly $63 million in alleged fraud losses over the past seven months.

15 Arrested, 11 Are Illegal Aliens

Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts announced Thursday that 15 people were arrested and charged with fraudulently collecting more than $1.4 million in taxpayer-funded benefits. The programs targeted include food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), MassHealth coverage, Social Security disability payments, housing assistance, and unemployment benefits. Of the 15 defendants, 11 are suspected illegal aliens, according to U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Colin MacDonald called the numbers alarming. “Alarmingly, 11 of the 15 charged defendants are suspected illegal aliens, some of whom assumed stolen identities to steal these taxpayer-funded benefits and avoid detection,” MacDonald said at a Thursday press conference in Boston. Prosecutors also noted that four defendants are listed only as “John Doe” because investigators have not yet confirmed their real identities.

Who Allegedly Stole the Most

The largest alleged scheme involved Heriberto Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen from Framingham. He is accused of collecting more than $546,000 in MassHealth, Social Security, housing, and SNAP benefits. Another U.S. citizen, Mirian Chalas of Salem, New Hampshire, faces charges tied to over $300,000 in MassHealth, Social Security disability, and SNAP fraud.

Among the illegal aliens charged, Santo Escolastico Cuello, a 56-year-old Dominican national living in Worcester, allegedly received more than $162,000 in MassHealth benefits. Mario Baez Romero, 45, a Dominican national from Somerville, allegedly collected nearly $76,000 in SNAP and MassHealth benefits. Prosecutors say each defendant acted individually and was not part of a single coordinated conspiracy.

Part of a Much Bigger Crackdown

This case is not a one-off. Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts have charged more than 65 defendants in fraud-related cases since January, with alleged losses topping $56 million. Combined with earlier cases, total alleged fraud losses over the past seven months reach roughly $63 million. U.S. Attorney Foley has described the fraud uncovered so far as only the “tip of the iceberg,” saying her office sees “insufficient guardrails in place in Massachusetts.”

11 Illegal Migrants, 4 U.S. Citizens Indicted in $1.4 Million Massachusetts Benefits Fraud Scheme https://t.co/kEb6CZyoQB

— Chatnewstv.com (@Chatnewstv) June 19, 2026

Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office identified nearly $12 million in public assistance fraud in fiscal year 2025 alone, with SNAP topping the list at $4.1 million. Foley has since created a dedicated fraud coordinator position in her office, mirroring a fraud enforcement push from the Trump administration at the federal level. The message from prosecutors is clear: the days of easy access to taxpayer money through fake or stolen identities are coming to an end.