New Hampshire Man Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Two-Decade Identity Fraud Case
Juan Felipe Chalas, 58, of Salem, N.H., was sentenced after pleading guilty to passport fraud and illegal acquisition of SNAP benefits, with $304,932 in restitution ordered, according to townhall.com.
4 reports on this incident · first at Sep 8, 2026, 4:37 p.m. ET
Earlier reports
Sep 10, 2026, 7:54 p.m. ET
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to One Year and One Day in Prison for Two-Decade Identity Fraud
Juan Felipe Chalas, 58, of Salem, N.H., was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $304,932 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. The sentencing was announced on Sept. 8, 2026.
Chalas had pleaded guilty to passport fraud and illegal acquisition of SNAP benefits, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. According to the office, for over two decades Chalas used the name, birthdate, and Social Security number of a United States citizen to apply for and receive Massachusetts driver's licenses, U.S. passports, and over $25,000 in Social Security disability benefits, more than $12,000 in SNAP benefits, and over $266,000 in MassHealth benefits.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; the U.S. Department of Agriculture — Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin T. Missett of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Sep 10, 2026, 7:52 p.m. ET
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to One Year and One Day for Two-Decade Identity Fraud
Juan Felipe Chalas, 58, of Salem, N.H., was sentenced on September 8, 2026, to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $304,932 in restitution, according to townhall.com. The sentencing followed his guilty plea to passport fraud and illegal acquisition of SNAP benefits, townhall.com reported.
Prosecutors alleged that for over two decades Chalas used the name, birthdate, and Social Security number of a United States citizen to apply for and receive Massachusetts driver's licenses, U.S. passports, and over $25,000 in Social Security disability benefits, more than $12,000 in SNAP benefits, and over $266,000 in MassHealth benefits, according to townhall.com.
The case was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, with investigating agencies including Homeland Security Investigations; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; the U.S. Department of Agriculture — Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, townhall.com reported.
Sep 8, 2026, 4:37 p.m. ETFirst report
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud and Identity Theft
A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Dorchester, Mass., pleaded 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, pleaded 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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- Version 18 Sept 2026, 20:37current
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