BOSTON — Two people associated with the now-closed El Primo restaurant in Leominster have pleaded guilty to federal felony fraud charges related to the misuse of $1 million in SNAP and unemployment benefits.
Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, a Venezuelan national living in Leominster, and Coralba Albarracin Siniva, 24, also a Venezuelan national living in Leominster, both pleaded guilty on June 12 to the use, transfer, acquisition and possession of Supplemental Nutritional Assistant Program benefits in an unauthorized manner, aiding and abetting.
In all, four people were charged in the case, which federal prosecutors say resulted in a federal SNAP fraud bust that totaled over $1 million in benefits illegally obtained through identity theft of more than 100 people from several states.
SNAP fraud
The four defendants were charged on Feb. 3.
The defendants stole identities from actual U.S. citizens in several states, using them to obtain over $440,000 in SNAP benefits, including $325,000 from Rhode Island and $115,000 from Massachusetts, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture/Office of the Inspector General Special Agent Kyle Bishop.
The crew then used the stolen benefits to purchase bulk amounts of food to resell for a profit at the Leominster restaurant, El Primo, which was owned by co-defendant Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 37, a naturalized citizen from the Dominican Republic living in Fitchburg, according to Bishop’s affidavit supporting the charges.
With their supplies obtained for free, they prepared and then sold menu items at El Primo Restaurant at a complete profit, later wiring the fraud proceeds to individuals living in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, among other places, the affidavit said.
Federal agents said they watched the defendants, including Vequiz Fernandez and Albarracin Siniva buy food at several stores including BJ’s Wholesale Club, Hannaford Supermarket, Market Basket and Big Mania Meat Market, all in Leominster, with fraudulently obtained SNAP cards. They would then “offload items at the service door of El Primo restaurant,” an allegation backed up by surveillance footage.
Pandemic unemployment fraud
The investigation revealed that the defendants and their co-conspirators further enriched themselves by over $700,000 by submitting fraudulent applications and supporting documents for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits, according to the affidavit.
Their false submissions caused state agencies in multiple states including Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania and Ohio to issue unemployment benefits to the bank accounts provided by members of the conspiracy.
The CARES Act of 2020 had created the temporary federal program for unemployment insurance for people who were not eligible for traditional unemployment, but were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In executing a search warrant for the home of the third defendant, Fernandez Vicioso, agents said they found approximately 20 fraudulently obtained Rhode Island and Massachusetts EBT cards, fraudulent documents, printed ledgers and handwritten lists of more than 100 identities (names, dates of births, SSNs) and SNAP-related mailings. Agents stated in the affidavit that Vequiz Fernandez and Albarracin Siniva conspired with the other defendants “by fraudulently obtaining EBT cards to further obtain bulk food items for resale at El Primo Restaurant.”
Sentencing for Vequiz Fernandez and Albarracin Siniva is set for Sept. 22.
Defendant Fernandez Vicioso pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to commit SNAP fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, SNAP benefit fraud, aiding and abetting, and money laundering, according to the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office. His sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 21.
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