Dominican national sentenced for aggravated identity theft
BOSTON — A Dominican national living in Peabody was sentenced to federal prison Monday on charges that he used the identity of another man to obtain unemployment benefits. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, which includes the Department of Labor, Social Security Administration and U.S. Postal Inspections Service.
Renato De La Cruz, 40, was sentenced to 25 months in prison and ordered to pay $33,164 in restitution to the state and federal governments. In June 2014, De La Cruz was convicted following a three-day jury trial of theft of public money, use of a falsely-obtained social security number, and aggravated identity theft.
In 1993, De La Cruz entered the country illegally and purchased the identifying information of a Dominican man who was living lawfully in New York City. De La Cruz used that information to obtain a Social Security Number and then moved to Massachusetts. As an illegal alien, he was not authorized to work, but he used the Dominican man's identity to do so. Then, between June 2011 and October 2012, De La Cruz used the Dominican man's identity to obtain unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.
"The fraudulent use of identification documents, both real and counterfeit, may allow the bearer to board an aircraft, improperly obtain a government benefit or allow a criminal to remain in the shadows undetected. These crimes represent a very real threat to our public safety and the security of our nation," said Bruce Foucart, special agent in charge for HSI Boston. "Through the combined authorities and expertise of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively target those participating in or facilitating these crimes."
Established in April 2006, the ICE task forces focus their efforts on detecting, deterring and disrupting both document and benefit fraud. Investigators from a variety of agencies with expertise in different aspects of fraud collaborate with U.S. Attorneys' Offices around the country to formulate a comprehensive approach in targeting the criminal organizations and the beneficiaries behind these fraudulent schemes.
Through collaboration and partnership, the task forces maximize resources, eliminate duplication of efforts, and produce a strong law enforcement presence. They combine a variety of law enforcement tools and authorities to achieve focused, high-impact criminal prosecutions and financial seizures.
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