BOSTON (WGGB/WSHM) -- Federal prosecutors announced charges in a massive fraud scheme Tuesday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston said the suspects stole the identities from victims across the country and used them to defraud U.S. taxpayers out of more $1 million.

At a press conference in Boston, authorities outlined the alleged scheme to steal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and pandemic unemployment benefits. U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah Foley said it involved four people who allegedly stole the identities of more than 100 victims, including six children, and used them to illegally obtain government benefits. “Spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to purchase inventory for a restaurant in Massachusetts owned by the lead defendant, Raul Fernandez-Vicioso, a naturalized citizen from the Dominican Republic. Fernandez-Vicioso and his co-defendants, two of whom do not have legal immigration status, and one is a green card holder, use the stolen EBT cards to purchase large quantities of expensive bulk food items, such as multiple-pound packages of chicken, beef, and pork, at various local wholesalers and food markets to stock their restaurant at no expense to themselves, but at considerable expense to taxpayers,” she explained.

Prosecutors said the men stole more than a million dollars from U.S. taxpayers and sold menu items at El Primo Restaurant in Leominster at a complete profit then wired that money to Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. The scheme unraveled when Rhode Island officials noticed 117 SNAP applications that all claimed to live in just two apartments in Providence. “We owe this attention to the hardworking taxpayers who expect government officials to stop massive fraud schemes and to hold those fraudsters accountable. It is not particularly hard to identify these scams, but if you don’t even care to look or prosecute those involved, essentially allowing criminals to steal vast amounts of taxpayer money with impunity, the scams will continue to proliferate unabated,” Foley added.

The following suspects were arrested on charges of conspiracy to use, transfer, acquire, and possess SNAP benefits:

Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 37, of Fitchburg has been charged with conspiracy to commit SNAP fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, SNAP benefit fraud, aiding and abetting, and money laundering.

Tuesday’s announcement came on the heels of a recent report from the Massachusetts State Auditor that outlined $12 million of taxpayer money fraud just within the state. The largest amount, more than $4 million, was allegedly stolen from SNAP with an additional $1.3 million taken from MassHealth.

In an effort to reduce fraud and make sure benefits go to those in need, the federal government in asking states to share SNAP data, but Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and several other Democratic governors have refused, saying there are already safeguards in place.

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