BOSTON – A brazen scheme to steal government benefits has come to an end for Rafael Bautista Abreu, a 63-year-old Dominican national who used a U.S. citizen’s identity for at least 12 years.
Abreu, formerly residing in Lynn, Massachusetts, was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for theft of government money and making a false statement on an application for Social Security benefits.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. handed down the sentence, which includes 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Abreu was also ordered to pay restitution of $15,840 to MassHealth and of $12,222 to the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance.
Abreu’s scheme began in 2008 and continued until 2016, during which time he fraudulently received public assistance benefits to which he was not entitled. He stole approximately $15,840 in MassHealth benefits from October 2008 to July 2016, and $12,222 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from September 2009 to July 2016.
In July 2019, Abreu used the stolen identity when he applied for benefits with the Social Security Administration. His plan was eventually uncovered, and he pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of government money and one count of making a false statement on an application for Social Security benefits in February 2021.
Abreu will face deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit.
The investigation was a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, the Homeland Security Investigations, and the Massachusetts State Auditor’s office.
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: White Collar Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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