Federal authorities in Boston said on June 18, 2026, that 15 people — including 11 individuals prosecutors described as unlawfully in the United States — were charged in cases alleging more than $1.4 million in fraud involving public benefits programs such as MassHealth and SNAP.
Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts announced Thursday that 15 individuals were charged and arrested in what officials described as an ongoing crackdown on fraud involving taxpayer-funded benefits programs.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the cases include alleged fraud involving MassHealth and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), along with other alleged schemes tied to disability and unemployment benefits. The office said several defendants’ names remain unknown because they were allegedly living under stolen identities and are currently charged as “John Doe.”
Among those charged, prosecutors said Santo Escolastico Cuello, 56, a Dominican national alleged to be unlawfully living in Worcester, was charged with aggravated identity theft and making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with $162,180 in alleged MassHealth fraud.
Prosecutors also charged Mario Baez Romero, 45, described as a Dominican national unlawfully living in Somerville, with aggravated identity theft and passport fraud in connection with $26,942 in alleged SNAP fraud and $48,785 in alleged MassHealth fraud. The U.S. attorney’s office said he was encountered during an interdiction of a recreational vessel near Key Biscayne in Miami in May 2026.
In a separate case included in the June 18 announcement, Mitul Patel, 40, described as an Indian national unlawfully living in Worcester, was charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud. Prosecutors alleged that co-conspirators staged a false armed robbery of a convenience store so that purported “victims,” including Patel, could seek U visas.
At the press conference, Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald, identified by prosecutors as part of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, said investigators are still working to determine the true identities of some defendants charged as John Does. Federal officials said the alleged schemes involved the use of stolen identities, which they said can prevent legitimate beneficiaries from accessing assistance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the arrests are part of what it called a sustained effort to investigate and charge benefit fraud in Massachusetts. As with all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
