A Dominican Republic citizen residing in Leominster entered a guilty plea in a federal court in Boston on charges of passport fraud and other related offenses. Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, 44, admitted to charges of aggravated identity theft and falsely stating information in a U.S. passport application, as per an announcement made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, head of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
The saga began when Arias Mejia deftly endeavored to acquire a United States passport along with a Massachusetts Real ID by impersonating a Puerto Rican resident. Details obtained by the Department of Justice reveal that he employed a driver's license, Social Security card, and birth certificate, all bearing the name of the identity he had assumed, supporting his fraudulent activities since at least 2011.
It was an alert triggered by the unlikely scenario of one individual receiving government benefits in both Boston and Puerto Rico that eventually led law enforcement to Arias Mejia's deceit. Following an investigation involving several agencies, authorities confirmed that the person in Puerto Rico was rightfully obtaining benefits while Arias Mejia collected illegitimately under the same identity in Boston.
Judge Richard G. Stearns has scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025, where Arias Mejia faces a potential maximum of 10 years for the passport fraud charge, plus a mandated consecutive two-year term for identity theft. In addition to prison, these charges could carry fines up to $250,000 each and eventual deportation upon completion of any sentence. As stated by the Department of Justice, "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."
The Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a conglomeration of personnel from diverse state, local, and federal agencies, led the investigation. This group specializes in uncovering and disrupting document, identity, and benefit fraud. Their efforts were supported by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo, the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and other crucial law enforcement organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is the prosecution's lead on this case.
