Federal investigators charge 12 illegals living in Lawrence and Methuen with stealing the identities of U.S. citizens living in Puerto Rico.
The following have been charged in federal court in Boston with aggravated identity theft and false representation of a social security number.
- David Alexander Arias Arias, 31, a Dominican national who is serving a 41-month sentence in federal prison in Pennsylvania. In 2017, Arias Arias was caught on a court-authorized wiretap dealing fentanyl under his stolen identity. He was subsequently charged in federal court in New Hampshire. At the time of his arrest, he was known to live in Lawrence, investigators said.
- Jose Miguel Baez, 43, a Dominican national living in Lawrence. Baez received more than $8,400 in unemployment benefits in his victim’s name.
- Rafael Emilio Cruz Ciprian, 26, a Dominican national living in Lawrence. Cruz Ciprian was arrested in Lowell on Aug. 4, 2018, on various charges, including giving false name/information to an officer and distribution of a Class A substance. During the arrest, Cruz Ciprian provided police with the identity of the victim whose identity was stolen.
- Alejandro Yoel Diaz Diaz, 28, a Dominican national living in Lawrence. Diaz Diaz has been arrested twice for drug dealing; on both occasions he provided his victim’s identity to law enforcement as his own.
- Lilian Fana Martinez, 28, a Dominican national living in Methuen, who, during multiple arrests, has presented the victim’s stolen identity to law enforcement as her own.
- Mirtha Magdalenny Lara Lara, 31, a Dominican national living in Lawrence with lawful permanent residence status.
- Elluz Yelitza Penalo Aguasvivas, 30, a Venezuelan national living in Lawrence.
- Ismael Robles Tejeda, 29, a Dominican national living in Lawrence.
- Francisco Antonio Sanchez Bernabe, 48, a Dominican national living in Methuen. Sanchez Bernabe has been arrested and/or charged three times in Massachusetts: in May 2015 for possession and distribution of heroin; in April 2017 for possession to distribute a Class A substance; and in August 2017 for failure to stop for a police officer. During each of these arrests, Sanchez Bernabe provided the victim’s identity to the police as his own, investigators said.
- Damarys Sanchez Sanchez, 44, a Dominican national residing in Lawrence, was charged only with misuse of a Social Security number.
- Santo Pascual Soto Diaz, 38, a Dominican national living in Lawrence.
- Freddy Tejada-Diaz, 52, who has the used the aliases of Freddy Tejada Zapata, Freddy Tejadadia and Fredy Antonio Zapata-Soto. A Dominican national living in Lawrence, Tejada-Diaz was ordered to be deported in 1996 by a judge in New York, though Tejada-Diaz failed to appear on the court date the judge ordered him removed. Tejada-Diaz never left. Instead, he assumed a new identity and was eventually arrested for shoplifting in New Hampshire under his victim’s name.