A Lawrence woman faces federal charges following allegations of passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, and misuse of a Social Security number. Wendy Dume Chavez, age 49, was arrested and appeared in a Boston court, with a detention hearing slated for Wednesday, according to a Department of Justice announcement.
The case against Chavez began to unfold last June when she supposedly submitted a passport renewal application using personal details that were not her own. The passport, subsequently issued in the name of the alleged victim, apparently had been acquired using said individual's name, date of birth, and Social Security number. In addition to this, Chavez is accused of having managed to also obtain several government-issued IDs, like a Massachusetts driver’s license, by leveraging the same personal information unlawfully.
Prosecutors are taking the charges seriously, with potential consequences reflecting as much. The false statement in a passport application could land Chavez in prison for up to a decade, alongside three years of supervised release and a hefty fine. Aggravated identity theft adds a mandatory two-year punch on top of whatever other felony sentence is passed down. Misuse of a Social Security number can result in another five years of confinement and the same potential financial penalty.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, Matthew O’Brien of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Homeland Security Investigations’ Michael J. Krol, Acting Lawrence Police Chief Millix Bonilla, and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker collectively announced the arrest. The case is being spearheaded by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus from the Major Crimes Unit.
