Braintree, MA — A Vietnamese national who was ordered deported in 1995 used the identity of a dead 13-year-old child to qualify as a Massachusetts paramedic and firefighter, federal officials announced this week.

Truong Nguyen, 50, known in court as “John Doe,” was sentenced to six years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper after pleading guilty in March 2025 to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft (source). He will be subject to deportation after completing his sentence.

Nguyen, who had been living in Braintree, used the stolen identity to attend the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, work as a paramedic, and secure employment at the Melrose Fire Department. He had previously worked for the Norwell Firefighters Union, where he was arrested in 2010 for allegedly stealing over $46,000.

In March 2023, Nguyen applied for a U.S. passport at a post office in Weymouth using a birth certificate, Social Security number, and Massachusetts driver’s license belonging to a child who died in 2002 at age 13. In June 2023, the Boston Passport Agency flagged the application after confirming the identity belonged to a deceased person. The passport was never issued.

Investigators determined that Nguyen had used the victim’s identity to obtain:

• Massachusetts driver’s licenses in 2018, 2019, and 2023
• A Social Security card in 2018
• EMT-Basic certification in 2021
• EMT-Paramedic certification in 2023

Between November 2023 and January 2024, he attended the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and was subsequently hired by the Melrose Fire Department under the false identity. He worked there until his arrest in May 2024.

Nguyen had already come under state scrutiny in August 2018, when facial recognition software flagged that he held two Massachusetts licenses under different names — one under Truong Nguyen and one under the deceased victim’s. At a Registry of Motor Vehicles hearing, Nguyen falsely claimed the victim’s identity was his real one and presented fraudulent documents. RMV officials accepted the claim, suspending the fraudulent license for six months and closing the case.

Nguyen originally entered the U.S. in 1979 as a legal permanent resident. His status was revoked following a 1991 burglary conviction, and he was ordered deported in 1995. Records show he was never deported.

At his plea hearing, Nguyen admitted under oath that his true identity is Truong Nguyen.

According to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley, “For the last six years, Mr. Nguyen exploited the identity of a deceased child to avoid accountability for a litany of criminal offenses... Our office is committed to holding accountable those who steal American identities and manipulate our public institutions for personal gain” (source).

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