California Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing Social Security Benefits and Aggravated Identity Theft

 FRESNO, Calif. — Antonio Rodriguez Guido, aka Catarino Gerardo Saldana Molina, 66, of Madera, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to four years and three months in prison for theft of social security benefits and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced. Guido was also ordered to pay $74,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.

 On October 25, 2012, Guido was convicted by a jury after a three-day trial. According to testimony presented at trial, Guido came to the United States in 1968 using the name Catarino Gerardo Saldana Molina, who was a real person born in Laredo, Texas in 1945. Guido obtained a Social Security card under the Molina identity, worked under the Molina identity and eventually applied for Social Security disability benefits as Molina in 2001. He received two types of Social Security benefits from April 2002 to September 2010, totaling more than $100,000. Guido falsely represented himself as Molina on a continuing disability review form submitted to the Social Security Administration.

 This case is the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant United States Attorneys Henry Z. Carbajal III and Christopher D. Baker prosecuted the case.