Dominican man sentenced on false identity charges
Jun. 9—BOSTON — A Dominican national previously residing in Methuen was sentenced in federal court in Boston for aggravated identity theft and fraudulent use of a Social Security number, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.
Manuel Enrique Arias Aguasvivas, 32, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge Rya Zobel to two years in prison and one year of supervised release.
Arias Aguasvivas will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of his sentence. On Feb. 17, Arias Aguasvivas pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of false representation of a Social Security number.
On July 2, 2015, Arias Aguasvivas submitted an application to renew his Massachusetts driver's license in the Lawrence office of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. In so doing, he used the Social Security number and other identifying information of a U.S. citizen.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation's Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, a specialized investigative group comprised of personnel from various state, local 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 U.S. Attorney Nathaniel Mendell; William Walker, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Phillip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement.
