Daniel Polonia Morillo, 57, a Dominican national from Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today to a multi-year scheme to steal over $45,000 in federally funded benefits by posing as a U.S. citizen. The elaborate fraud spanned nearly a decade and involved forged documents, stolen identities, and cold exploitation of taxpayer-funded programs.
Polonia Morillo admitted in federal court in Boston to making false statements on applications for Social Security, Medicaid, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In December 2016, he submitted an application for Social Security benefits using another man’s full identity — name, Social Security number, and date of birth — and backed it with a U.S. passport issued under that stolen identity.
The fraud didn’t start in 2016. Records show Polonia Morillo had already been cashing in on the stolen identity since at least March 2012, when he began receiving Medicaid benefits. From April 2015 to October 2018, he also collected SNAP benefits under the same false credentials. Every check, every benefit card, was funded by American taxpayers — all while he lived under a borrowed life.
He faces three federal charges: false statement on an application for Social Security benefits, false statement in an application and use of a passport, and theft of public money. Each carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The Social Security charge allows for up to five years, while all counts include potential fines of $250,000 or double the gross gain, plus three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 28, 2019, before U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper. The final penalty will be determined under federal sentencing guidelines and statutory factors, but prosecutors are pushing for accountability in what they call a deliberate, sustained breach of public trust.
The case was announced by United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General; Peter C. Fitzhugh of Homeland Security Investigations Boston; and Massachusetts State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of the Major Crimes Unit is leading the prosecution.
RELATED: Crypto Cash & Cocaine: DR Duo Extradited in Drug Money Scheme
RELATED: Deported Dealer Back in NH, Faces Decades for Meth Flood
Related Federal Cases
- Andover Man Pleads Guilty to Union Benefit Fraud · Massachusetts
- AQE, Inc. Pleads Guilty to Union Benefit Fund Fraud · Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Scheme · Massachusetts
- Harvard-Trained FinServ Founder Faces Multi-Million Dollar Fraud Charges · Massachusetts
- Cambridge Man Jailed for $40K Diary Fraud · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News