Four Venezuelan migrants in Massachusetts are facing federal charges for their alleged roles in a roughly one million dollar multi state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program fraud scheme that prosecutors say relied on stolen identities, abuse of taxpayer funded benefits, and the transfer of illicit proceeds overseas.

According to U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley, the defendants and their co conspirators allegedly obtained SNAP benefits cards using stolen personal information, in some cases tied to as many as 100 different identities. Investigators say the cards were then used to purchase large quantities of high value bulk food items such as chicken, beef, and pork from wholesalers and retail markets. Those goods were used to stock El Primo Restaurant at essentially no cost, allowing the business to sell prepared food at full profit.

Prosecutors allege the restaurant related portion of the scheme accounted for approximately 440,000 dollars in fraud. In addition, fraudulent benefit applications linked to stolen identities generated up to 700,000 dollars more in SNAP benefits. Authorities say the profits from the operation were wired to recipients in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, making recovery of the funds more difficult.

Foley said the case is part of a much larger national problem. “It is no secret there is rampant fraud across this nation,” she stated, adding that the charges represent only a small portion of broader abuse of public benefit programs. She criticized states that allow online benefit applications without robust document verification, warning that such systems invite exploitation and organized fraud.

The case has renewed scrutiny of welfare program oversight nationwide. Federal officials have pointed to other high profile examples, including tens of millions of dollars in improper Medicaid payments in Maine and hundreds of millions siphoned off in Minnesota fraud cases, much of it allegedly sent overseas and unlikely to be recovered.