Dominican Man Sentenced for Theft of $300,000 in Government Benefits

BOSTON – A Dominican man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining over $300,000 in government benefits under a false identity.

Jose Marin, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to a sentence of time served in prison, one year of home confinement, one year of supervised release and restitution.  In May 2015, Marin pleaded guilty to stealing public money.

Marin, who was born in the Dominican Republic, unlawfully entered the United States in or about 2003 and fraudulently acquired a driver’s license and Social Security card in the name of an American citizen.  Marin also fraudulently used the same American citizen’s name on multiple dates when Marin was arrested for drunk driving, breaking and entering and other charges.  Marin began receiving government benefits in 2006 under the American citizen’s identity, including Social Security, MassHealth, and food stamp benefits, totaling $303,685. 

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, made the announcement today.  The Marin case was investigated by HSI’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.