BOSTON – A Winthrop, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining a U.S. passport and then using it to enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey in 2021.   Azem Gigo Zebic, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper to 18 months of probation, 100 hours…

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Bolarinwa Salau, 30, of Rockaway Beach, New York, has been charged with identity theft. According to the court documents, West Virginia State Police stopped a vehicle driven by Salau. Salau was found in possession of means of identification of other people in connection with a stolen identity refund fraud scheme, often…

RIVERSIDE, California – Two San Bernardino County residents were arrested today on a nine-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $2.1 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds by submitting more than 120 fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits using stolen identities, including those of California state prisoners. Lisa Puente, 43, of…

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Antonino Resendiz Badillo (39, Mexico) today pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Badillo faces a penalty of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, E-Verify is a web-based system through which employers…

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NATHANIEL HOPKINS, JR. (“HOPKINS”), age 48, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District  Judge Jay Zainey to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. According to court documents, HOPKINS’s wife was authorized to receive Social Security Administration (“SSA”) Title II –…

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOSE GUADALUPE MUNOZ-PEREZ (“MUNOZ”), age 46, a native of Mexico, was indicted on October 24, 2024 for illegally using a social security number to obtain a Louisiana driver’s license, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). MUNOZ faces up to five (5) years imprisonment,…

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri woman on Monday admitted misusing $55,000 of her father’s Social Security benefits after his death. Carmen Needy, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. She admitted that after her father’s death on Aug. 31, 2016, his Social Security retirement benefits continued to be deposited…

BOSTON – A Social Security Administration (SSA) employee was arrested today for attempting to persuade a Social Security beneficiary to cross state lines to engage in prostitution. Dae Sung Kim, 35, of Auburn, Mass., was charged with one count of attempting to induce a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. According…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Roselyn Mims, 51, of Linda, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Mims was a Certified Nurse Assistant and In-Home Support Services (IHSS) home healthcare provider in the State of California, and she provided IHSS care to an elderly woman who…

NEWARK, N.J. – A former resident of Monmouth County admitted his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Kevin Aguilar, 54, previously of Farmingdale, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton…