Santo Jesus Gonzalez Villar, a 49-year-old Dominican national from Lawrence, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty yesterday to federal charges of Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft. The hard-fought conviction stems from a brazen scheme in which Gonzalez Villar stole the identity of a U.S. citizen from Puerto Rico to access state benefits and employment privileges he was not entitled to.
The crime came to light as part of “Double Trouble,” a sweeping federal investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations’ Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF). The multi-agency task force, composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement, targeted 25 individuals in a coordinated crackdown on document and benefit fraud across Massachusetts. Gonzalez Villar was arrested in July 2018 and formally charged with assuming another man’s identity to infiltrate state systems.
Court documents reveal that on June 20, 2018, Gonzalez Villar submitted an Asbestos Worker Application to the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards using the stolen name and Social Security number. He backed the application with a fraudulent Massachusetts driver’s license bearing his photo but the victim’s name—proof of a sophisticated identity deception. As a result, he was issued an Asbestos Worker Identification Card in the victim’s name, opening doors to restricted employment.
But the fraud didn’t stop there. Gonzalez Villar also used the stolen identity to obtain multiple state-issued driver’s licenses and to unlawfully receive MassHealth benefits—taxpayer-funded healthcare meant for eligible residents. By weaponizing another man’s personal information, Gonzalez Villar exploited vulnerabilities in multiple government systems, undermining public trust and draining public resources.
He now faces up to five years in prison for false representation of a Social Security number—a charge carrying a maximum $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The second count, aggravated identity theft, brings a mandatory two-year prison sentence, an additional $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV will hand down the final sentence on July 24, 2019, weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the full scope of the crimes.
The case was announced by a coalition of federal and state authorities, including U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, Homeland Security Investigations, the Social Security Administration OIG, HHS OIG, HUD OIG, the U.S. Department of Labor OIG, Diplomatic Security Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Massachusetts State Police, and State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Burzycki of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case, sending a clear message: stolen identities won’t be tolerated—and the feds are watching.
Related Federal Cases
- Baez Gets 25 Months for ID Theft & Social Security Fraud · Massachusetts
- Joanna Boyer Convicted of $29K Social Security Fraud · Massachusetts
- Patricia Grifoni Guilty in $51K Social Security Fraud · Massachusetts
- Lydia Torres Sentenced in $393K Identity Theft Tax Fraud · Massachusetts
- Dominican National Jhonny Pimentel Aybar Sentenced in Boston Fraud · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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