Boston Man Arrested for Misuse of Identity

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts:

BOSTON – A Dominican national was arrested today and charged in connection with his use of multiple identities. The defendant allegedly used false identities to obtain government benefits.

Angelito Concepcion Soto, 31, a Dominican national residing in Boston, was charged by criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a deported alien. Concepcion Soto will make an initial appearance remotely in U.S. District Court in Boston.

According to charging documents, Concepcion Soto was arrested on state charges in July 2020 and found to be in possession of a fraudulent driver’s license and Social Security card in the name of a U.S. citizen. That citizen’s identity had also been used to obtain MassHealth coverage and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020. A fingerprint match revealed the true identity of Concepcion Soto, who had been removed from the United States in October 2016 and had subsequently re-entered without permission. Prior to his removal, Concepcion Soto had been arrested on a heroin-related offense under yet a different identity.

Concepcion Soto faces a sentence of up to two years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.  The DBFTF investigates suspected aliens who are believed to have obtained stolen identities of U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico. The DBFTF has investigated individuals who have used stolen identities to obtain public benefits that they otherwise would not be eligible to receive, including Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles identity documents, Social Security numbers, MassHealth benefits, public housing benefits and/or unemployment benefits.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

BOSTON – A Dominican national was arrested today and charged in connection with his use of multiple identities. The defendant allegedly used false identities to obtain government benefits.

Angelito Concepcion Soto, 31, a Dominican national residing in Boston, was charged by criminal complaint with illegal re-entry of a deported alien. Concepcion Soto will make an initial appearance remotely in U.S. District Court in Boston.

According to charging documents, Concepcion Soto was arrested on state charges in July 2020 and found to be in possession of a fraudulent driver’s license and Social Security card in the name of a U.S. citizen. That citizen’s identity had also been used to obtain MassHealth coverage and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020. A fingerprint match revealed the true identity of Concepcion Soto, who had been removed from the United States in October 2016 and had subsequently re-entered without permission. Prior to his removal, Concepcion Soto had been arrested on a heroin-related offense under yet a different identity.

Concepcion Soto faces a sentence of up to two years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.  

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Michael Shea, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes.  The DBFTF investigates suspected aliens who are believed to have obtained stolen identities of U.S. citizens born in Puerto Rico. The DBFTF has investigated individuals who have used stolen identities to obtain public benefits that they otherwise would not be eligible to receive, including Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles identity documents, Social Security numbers, MassHealth benefits, public housing benefits and/or unemployment benefits.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.