A Houston woman has admitted to what prosecutors say was a decades-long con: using a U.S. citizen’s Social Security number to secure immigration paperwork and tap into federal benefits. Ana Silvia Garcia, 62, who authorities say had been living in Houston without legal status, pleaded guilty to theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft, according to federal prosecutors.
Illegal alien guilty in decades-long identity theft scheme
— U.S. Attorney SDTX (@usao_sdtx) April 14, 2026
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, prosecutors say Garcia began using the victim’s Social Security number back in 1992 to file immigration petitions for relatives and to enroll in disability and Medicare programs. The office says she unlawfully collected more than $278,000 in benefits from 2013 through February 2026 and that she finally admitted her true identity after being arrested in February.
Investigators from the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service led the probe, with Homeland Security Investigations assisting, the announcement posted on X says. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Bauman is prosecuting the case, according to the same post.
The guilty plea is the latest Southern District enforcement move targeting identity and benefits fraud around Houston; Houston SSA insider sentenced for $3.3M covered a February case in which an agency employee was convicted of rerouting survivor benefits. Local coverage indicates prosecutors have recently ramped up efforts against schemes that exploit federal benefit programs.
Court date and potential penalties
Garcia is set for sentencing on July 2 before U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge and remains in custody until that hearing. Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office, she faces up to 10 years in federal prison for theft of government funds, plus a mandatory consecutive two-year term for aggravated identity theft.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
Prosecutors say Garcia used the stolen Social Security number both to submit immigration petitions for family members and to draw benefits she was never entitled to receive. "Theft of an American citizen’s identity will not be tolerated," the office said on X, adding that the case is part of broader Department of Justice efforts to crack down on fraud targeting federal benefit programs, per a post on X.
Federal prosecutors say the prosecution is meant to send a clear warning that authorities are prepared to unwind even long-running schemes that siphon taxpayer dollars and abuse public benefit systems. The July sentencing will close out this chapter in Houston’s recent run of federal fraud cases and could layer prison time on top of an expected immigration removal process.
