BOSTON — The Justice Department announced Thursday that 15 individuals have been charged in a $1.4 million Massachusetts benefits fraud sweep — and 11 of them are suspected illegal immigrants, including a Framingham defendant accused of stealing $546,463 by himself across MassHealth, Social Security, HUD housing assistance, and SNAP.

"These criminal illegal aliens conspired to defraud Massachusetts taxpayers of more than $1.4 million in public benefits, depriving American citizens of benefits that they needed," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in the press release. "After these 12 criminal illegal aliens face justice, they will be swiftly removed from our country so they can never defraud American taxpayers again. Under President Trump, DHS is putting the American people first again."

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah B. Foley framed the announcement as the opening salvo of a sustained enforcement effort.

"There isn't any place else in the world where you can go and be handed free food, free housing, free healthcare and free monthly checks, while being in the country illegally," Foley said in the release. "However, it appears that you can come to Massachusetts and steal as many benefits as you want without fear and without any accountability. This is all ending on my watch. Beginning today, we will be announcing benefit fraud charges on a rolling basis."

The lead case is Framingham resident Heriberto Rodriguez, charged with passport fraud, SNAP fraud, and aggravated identity theft. According to the DOJ, Rodriguez alone stole $546,463 — $175,182 in MassHealth fraud, $185,194 in HUD housing fraud, $146,944 in Social Security fraud, and $39,000 in SNAP fraud. Rodriguez's single case represents nearly 40% of the entire $1.4 million named in the indictments.

The Justice Department named six Dominican nationals who are unlawfully present in Massachusetts:

— Santo Escolastico Cuello, 56, unlawfully living in Worcester — charged with aggravated identity theft and making false statements relating to a health care program in connection with $162,180 in MassHealth fraud. — Mario Baez Romero, 45, unlawfully living in Somerville — charged with aggravated identity theft and passport fraud in connection with $26,942 in SNAP fraud and $48,785 in MassHealth fraud. Baez Romero was allegedly encountered during an interdiction of a recreational vessel near Key Biscayne in Miami, Florida in May 2026 — meaning federal authorities caught him while he was apparently attempting to depart by boat. — Richard Odelis Vallegas Nunez, 35, unlawfully living in Allston — $48,865 in MassHealth fraud, plus charges of aggravated identity theft and unlawful production of an identification document. — Miguel Diaz Matos, 54, living in Lynn — $13,431 in SNAP fraud and $50,494 in MassHealth fraud. — Santo Tejada Sanchez, 48, unlawfully living in Haverhill — $4,054 in SNAP fraud. — Yahaira Diaz Gomez, 45, living in Mattapan — $48,694 in MassHealth fraud.

The most unusual charge belongs to Mitul Patel, 40, an Indian national unlawfully living in Worcester. According to the DOJ, Patel is charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud in a scheme in which co-conspirators staged a fake armed robbery at a convenience store so that "victims" like Patel could claim U Visas as victims of violent crimes. U Visas are a federal immigration benefit issued to non-citizen victims of qualifying crimes who assist law enforcement; by staging a fake armed robbery, Patel and his co-conspirators allegedly attempted to manufacture the predicate "victimization" required to qualify.

Three additional defendants are named only as "John Doe" because, according to the DOJ, they "have been living under stolen identities" and federal investigators have not yet been able to establish their true names. One of the John Does is suspected of living in Quincy; another in Lynn.

The four U.S. citizen defendants are Mirian Chalas, 33 (Salem, NH); Jennifer Ferran, 48 (Haverhill); Owen Landry, also known as "Oski," 24 (Haverhill); and one unnamed individual. Chalas is the only one accused of substantial fraud — over $303,000 spread across MassHealth, Social Security Disability, and SNAP. Ferran and Landry are each charged with over $29,000 in Social Security fraud.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald, head of the DOJ's National Fraud Enforcement Division, said in the release that this week's charges are the leading edge of a broader pattern.

"These cases highlight a broader, deeply troubling pattern: the exploitation of America's safety-net by illegal aliens," McDonald said. "Fraud by illegal aliens carries real and substantial costs to American taxpayers and places enormous strain on our public benefits systems. The Fraud Division remains laser-focused on rooting out fraud — whether committed by illegal aliens or anyone else — and recovering money wrongfully taken from the American people."

Foley's announcement that benefit fraud charges will be filed "on a rolling basis" is a signal that the federal government is not waiting on the Massachusetts political consensus. Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England Jeffrey Grimming said the investigation is "just getting started."

This is a developing story.