WORCESTER — On Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, a Fitchburg man was sentenced in federal court in Worcester for his involvement in a fraud scheme that used the stolen identities of more than 100 individuals to obtain approximately $440,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which were primarily used to purchase large quantites of bulk food items to stock El Primo Restaurant at no expense.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Raul Fernandez Vicioso, 38, of Fitchburg, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to two years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Fernandez Vicioso was also ordered to pay $1.1 million in restitution and $1.1 million in forfeiture.
In March 2026, Fernandez Vicioso pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit SNAP fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, SNAP benefit fraud, aiding and abetting, and money laundering.
Fernandez Vicioso was charged on Feb. 3, 2026, along with three co-conspirators:
- Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, a Venezuelan national residing in Leominster
- Coralba Albarracin Siniva, 24, a Venezuelan national residing in Leominster
- Joel Vicioso Fernandez, 42, of Fitchburg
Federal prosecutors say Fernandez Vicioso and his alleged co-conspirators purchased and used the stolen personal information of more than 100 individuals from multiple states (including, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico) to fraudulently obtain approximately $440,000 in SNAP benefits from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
More: Court docs detail how $1M SNAP fraud scheme funded Leominster restaurant
The stolen identities were used to create 24 fictitious households in SNAP applications, with all applicants purportedly residing in two apartments in Providence, Rhode Island.
Fernandez Vicioso also used his own personal information to create fraudulent SNAP accounts that were included among the applications containing stolen identities.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, Fernandez Vicioso and his co-conspirators submitted images of counterfeit passports and passport cards to support the fraudulent SNAP applications, with metadata that indicated the images were taken inside or near the now defunct El Primo Restaurant in Leominster, once operated by Fernandez Vicioso.
Federal authorities allege that Fernandez Vicioso and his co-conspirators subsequently used the SNAP benefit cards to purchase large quantities of expensive bulk food items, such as multiple-pound packages of chicken, beef, and pork, from local wholesalers and food markets to stock El Primo Restaurant at no expense.
“With their supplies obtained for free through fraudulent SNAP benefits, they sold menu items at El Primo Restaurant at a complete profit, later wiring the fraud proceeds to individuals living in Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, among other places,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said.
According to the charging documents, between April 2020 and December 2021, Fernandez Vicioso and his co-conspirators also fraudulently obtained more than $700,000 by submitting fraudulent applications and supporting documentation for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Nevada.
“The fraudulent PUA benefits were issued in the names of Raul Fernandez Vicioso and in the names of suspected identity theft victims, including identities common to the related SNAP benefit fraud,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said. “At least 29 different identities were allegedly used in PUA applications in six different states – all of which listed the address for El Primo Restaurant as the residential address.”
According to federal prosecutors, bank records obtained during the investigation revealed approximately $276,021 in fraudulent PUA benefits deposited into bank accounts held in the names of El Primo Restaurant, Fernandez Vicioso, and other alleged co-conspirators.
“Other fraudulent PUA benefits were allegedly issued to prepaid cards in the identities of the various individuals which were applied for using known addresses and telephone numbers of the subjects,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts added.
During searches of Fernandez Vicioso’s residence and El Primo Restaurant, investigators recovered fraudulently obtained Massachusetts and Rhode Island electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, fraudulent documents bearing a Providence address, printed ledgers, handwritten lists of more than 100 identities, and SNAP-related mailings.
U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley; Charmeka Parker, special agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Region; Anthony P. D’Esposito, inspector general of the U.S. Department of Labor; Thomas Demeo, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Boston Field Office; and Jeff Grimming, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England announced the sentencing.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said valuable assistance with the investigation was provided by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit’s Fraud Detection & Prevention Unit, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island, and the Fitchburg and Leominster police departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
