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Investigators allege the group stole personal information from unsuspecting victims in eight states and Puerto Rico. That information was then used to create at least 24 fake households, all linked to just two apartments in Providence, Rhode Island. These addresses became the launch point for a flood of fraudulent benefit applications.
Between 2023 and 2025, prosecutors say the defendants submitted online SNAP applications in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, ultimately collecting roughly $440,000 in food assistance benefits. Of that amount, approximately $325,000 came from Rhode Island and $115,000 from Massachusetts.
Once the benefits were approved, the funds were loaded onto electronic benefit transfer cards. Authorities say the defendants took deliberate steps to conceal their activity, including removing printed names from the cards and resetting personal identification numbers. The cards were then allegedly used to purchase large quantities of meat and other food items from wholesale retailers such as BJ’s.
Those bulk purchases were not intended to feed needy families. Prosecutors allege the food was transported directly to El Primo Restaurant, where it was prepared, sold to paying customers, and turned into pure profit.
The complaint states that “with their supplies obtained for free through fraudulent SNAP benefits, prosecutors said they prepared and then sold menu items at El Primo Restaurant at a complete profit, later wiring the fraud proceeds, among other places, to individuals living in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.”
Surveillance footage, store transaction records, and financial data reportedly helped investigators connect the fraudulent purchases to the defendants.
The alleged fraud did not stop with food benefits. Prosecutors say the group also exploited pandemic era unemployment programs at the height of COVID shutdowns. Between April 2020 and December 2021, the defendants are accused of filing fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims in six states, including Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington, and Nevada.
Using at least 29 stolen identities, the group allegedly collected more than $700,000 in unemployment funds. Much of that money was routed into bank accounts or prepaid cards under their control. Records show roughly $276,021 in PUA benefits were deposited into accounts tied directly to the restaurant and the defendants.
Authorities say every unemployment application listed El Primo Restaurant’s address as the applicant’s residence, a detail that ultimately helped unravel the operation.
The scheme came to light in June 2024 after an internal audit by Rhode Island officials flagged more than 100 identities tied to the same two Providence apartments. That discovery was shared with Massachusetts authorities, triggering a broader investigation that exposed the multi state scope of the fraud.
U.S. Attorney Leah Foley described the case as emblematic of a much larger problem.
“It is no secret there is rampant fraud across this nation. The charges announced today are just a snapshot of the bigger picture, not just in Massachusetts but across the country,” Foley said.
She added that her office is expanding its enforcement efforts, noting the appointment of a dedicated fraud coordinator in response to the growing number of benefit fraud cases.
“You should anticipate seeing more and more of these cases coming here in Massachusetts,” Foley warned.
The case is expected to fuel renewed debate over the vulnerability of federal welfare and emergency relief programs and the growing cost of fraud to American taxpayers.
