The conviction followed a five-day federal trial in Boston. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, a 59-year-old Colombian national, “used a stolen identity for more than 20 years” while living in Massachusetts.

Federal authorities said Orovio-Hernandez was not lawfully present in the United States and was not eligible for the benefits, identification, or voting privileges she obtained. Using a stolen Social Security number, prosecutors said she collected approximately $259,500 in Section 8 housing assistance, about $101,200 in Social Security disability payments, and roughly $43,300 in SNAP food benefits — funds the DOJ said she “was not entitled to receive.”

Prosecutors also said she obtained nine state-issued identification cards, including a Massachusetts REAL ID, and made false statements on a U.S. passport application.

Then, in November 2024, she voted.

At trial, prosecutors proved that Orovio-Hernandez “knowingly and fraudulently cast a ballot” in the 2024 presidential election despite being “not a U.S. citizen and not eligible to vote,” according to the Justice Department. The DOJ does not disclose which candidate she voted for.

The jury convicted her on multiple counts, including aggravated identity theft, false use of a Social Security number, making false statements on a passport application, receiving stolen government funds, and fraudulent voting.

“Identity theft and benefits fraud undermine public trust and the integrity of our systems,” U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement announcing the verdict.

Sentencing has not yet occurred. The convictions carry the potential for significant prison time, including a mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft, followed by deportation proceedings.

For critics of Massachusetts’ sanctuary-style policies, the case has become a flashpoint — raising questions about how a fraud scheme lasting more than 20 years went undetected, and how an illegal vote made it into a presidential election before anyone noticed.