Lead Defendant in Multi-State SNAP and PUA Fraud Conspiracy Pleads Guilty

Summary

Press release of the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts, dated March 25, 2026. Raul Fernandez Vicioso pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit SNAP Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, SNAP benefit Fraud, Aiding and Abetting and Money Laundering, and Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2026. The release says the scheme used the stolen identities of more than 100 individuals to obtain $440,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It says the defendant and alleged co-conspirators also fraudulently obtained over $700,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits. Three alleged co-conspirators were charged by criminal complaint.

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PRESS RELEASE


Lead Defendant in Multi-State SNAP and
PUA Fraud Conspiracy Pleads Guilty
Wednesday, March 25, 2026

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

Defendant used more than 100 stolen identities to steal $440,000 in SNAP benefits
from Massachusetts and Rhode Island and $700,000 in PUA benefits from multiple
states

BOSTON – A Fitchburg, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to
his role in a fraud scheme that used the stolen identities of more than 100 individuals to
obtain $440,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from
Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The defendant and his alleged co-conspirators also
fraudulently obtained over $700,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
benefits from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio Washington and Nevada.

Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 37, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit SNAP Fraud,
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, SNAP benefit Fraud, Aiding and Abetting and Money
Laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July
9, 2026.

The defendant was charged on Feb. 3, 2026. Three alleged co-conspirators – Joel Vicioso
Fernandez, 42, of Fitchburg, Mass.; Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, a Venezuelan national
living in Leominster, Mass.; and Coralba Albarracin Siniva, 24, a Venezuelan national
living in Leominster, Mass., were charged by criminal complaint.

Raul Fernandez Vicioso and his alleged co-conspirators purchased and used the stolen
personal information of over 100 real people from multiple states to fraudulently obtain
SNAP benefits. The stolen identities were used to create 24 “households” in SNAP
applications. All of these applications, submitted in the names of over 100 people, were
listed as living in two single-family apartments in Providence, R.I.
A number of the stolen identities from Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, New
York, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico were used to fraudulently obtain SNAP benefits in
Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Raul Fernandez Vicioso used his own personal information to create fraudulent SNAP
benefit accounts that were found commingled among the victim identities in the
applications. In support of the fraudulently submitted SNAP applications, the defendants
and their co-conspirators allegedly provided images of counterfeit passports and
passport cards, with metadata that indicated the images were taken inside or within the
immediate vicinity of El Primo Restaurant – a restaurant operated by Raul Fernandez
Vicioso in Leominster, Mass.

The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly used the fraudulent SNAP benefits
cards to purchase large quantities of expensive bulk food items (such as multiple-pound
packages of chicken, beef and pork) at various local wholesalers and food markets to
stock El Primo Restaurant at no expense. With their supplies obtained for free through
fraudulent SNAP benefits, they sold menu items at El Primo Restaurant at a complete
profit, later wiring the fraud proceeds to individuals living in Venezuela and the
Dominican Republic, among other places.

According to the charging documents, between April 2020 and December 2021, the
defendants and their co-conspirators further enriched themselves by over $700,000 by
submitting fraudulent applications and supporting documents for PUA in
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada. The fraudulent PUA benefits
were issued in the names of Raul Fernandez Vicioso and allegedly Joel Vicioso
Fernandez and in the names of suspected identity theft victims, including identities
common to the related the SNAP benefit fraud. At least 29 different identities were
allegedly used in PUA applications in six different states – all of which listed the address
for El Primo Restaurant as the residential address. Bank records obtained during the
investigation detail approximately $276,021 in fraudulent PUA benefits deposited into
bank accounts held in the names of the El Primo Restaurant, Raul Fernandez Vicioso and
allegedly Joel Vicioso Fernandez and other co-conspirators. Other fraudulent PUA
benefits were allegedly issued to prepaid cards in the identities of the various individuals
which were applied for using known addresses and telephone numbers of the subjects.

During searches of Raul Fernandez Vicioso’s residence and the El Primo Restaurant,
fraudulently obtained Massachusetts and Rhode Island EBT cards, fraudulent documents
bearing a Providence address involved in the alleged scheme, printed ledgers and
handwritten lists of more than 100 identities and SNAP-related mailings were recovered.
Fraud, waste or abuse can be reported to the Council of the Inspectors General for
Integrity and Efficiency: https://www.oversight.gov/where-report-fraud-waste-abuse-or-
retaliation.

The charge of Conspiracy to Commit SNAP Fraud provides for a sentence of up to five
years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison,
three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 The charge of illegal acquisition
or use of SNAP benefits provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years
of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides
for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of
$500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing
Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; Anthony
P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General;
Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal
Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of
Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today.
Valuable assistance was provided by the Social Security Administration - Office of
Inspector General; U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General;
U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service;
Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit - Fraud Detection & Prevention Unit;
Massachusetts State Police; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island;
and the Fitchburg and Leominster Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial
Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining
defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a
reasonable doubt in the court of law.

Updated March 25, 2026


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