$274,119 in restitution ordered for Lawrence man who swindled COVID relief funds and Social Security benefits
BOSTON – A Lawrence man, Randolph Dominguez, 58, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining and misusing COVID-19 relief funds and stealing Social Security benefits totaling over $200,000. Dominguez was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on January 1, 2025, in federal court in Boston.
In January 2025, Dominguez pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money. His crimes began in June 2020 when he submitted a loan application on behalf of his interpreter business, Dominguez SP Interpreters, to the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
Dominguez fraudulently obtained approximately $90,000 in EIDL funds from the SBA from June 2020 through July 2021 by claiming falsely on EIDL applications that his gross business revenue was $600,000 the previous year, when it was only $16,989. He improperly spent all of the EIDL funds received on non-business expenses, including $16,192.22 to purchase an SUV, and several purchases at smoke shops, liquor stores, gun ranges and an adult bookstore and website.
Additionally, in May 2021, Dominguez applied for an additional $200,600 EIDL loan modification increase based on the false business revenue amount, which was rejected when SBA detected his fraud. Similarly, in June 2021, Dominguez obtained a $3,500 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which was another temporary loan program intended to provide relief for small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic so that they could retain employees and cover overhead.
Dominguez also spent the PPP loan for an improper business purpose – an all-inclusive vacation in Cancun, Mexico. Separately, from April 2001 through April 2023, Dominguez stole approximately $163,642 in Social Security benefits. Dominguez’s father was receiving Social Security benefits at the time of his death in March 2001. His death was never reported to the Social Security Administration. Instead, the deceased’s address was changed in 2006 to Dominguez’s residence and the agency continued to pay monthly benefits on his behalf.
Dominguez used his deceased father’s debit card to withdraw the improperly paid benefits at ATMs and to make purchases more than 22 years after his death. Finally, Dominguez claimed his deceased father as a dependent on his 2019 federal and state income tax returns to fraudulently obtain tax credits. As a special condition of the term of supervised release, Dominguez was ordered to work with the Internal Revenue Service to correct all inaccurate tax returns.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Randolph Dominguez is a resident of Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $274,119 in restitution.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: White Collar Crime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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