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A Dominican national previously residing in Taunton was sentenced today for false representation of a Social Security number and making a false statement relating to health care matters.
Reynold Pereyra Diaz, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to one year in prison and one year of supervised release. Pereyra Diaz will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On July 29, 2021, Pereyra Diaz pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of making a false statement relating to a federal health care program.
For at least 18 years, Pereyra Diaz used the name and identifiers of a U.S. citizen, including to obtain a Massachusetts driver’s license and to apply for MassHealth benefits. In December 2018, a search of Pereyra Diaz’s residence recovered a marriage license under his true name as well as a driver’s license, birth certificate, Social Security card and bank cards under the victim’s stolen identity.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security’s Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized field investigative group comprised of personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.
Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and the Lynn, Lawrence and Taunton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
