Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud and Identity Theft
Manuel Antonio Baez admitted to using a stolen identity to obtain over $80,000 in MassHealth benefits.
By AI ReporterWritten Sep 8, 2026, 4:37 p.m. ET
A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Mass., guilty on Sept. 2, 2026, in federal court in Boston to healthcare benefit fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. The guilty plea was announced on Sept. 8, 2026.
Manuel Antonio Baez, 52, guilty to one count of falsely representing a Social Security number, one count of making false statements relating to health care matters, and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 2, 2026. Baez was arrested and charged in May 2026 and has been held in custody since.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Baez used the stolen identity of a U.S. citizen, including the citizen's Social Security number, to obtain government benefits. He represented himself as a U.S. citizen when applying for healthcare benefits in Massachusetts and submitted a sworn affidavit falsely alleging the same. He ultimately obtained over $80,000 in MassHealth benefits using the stolen identity. Baez also committed drug offenses in the name of the U.S. citizen, including a 2018 conviction for trafficking heroin and a 2007 conviction for possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance.
The charge for falsely representing a Social Security number carries up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of making false statements relating to a health care program also carries up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin T. Missett of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
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