Two Venezuelan Nationals Plead Guilty in $440,000 SNAP Fraud Scheme Used to Stock Leominster Restaurant for Profit

Worcester, Mass. — Two Venezuelan nationals living in Leominster, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty this month to federal charges for their roles in a multi-state conspiracy that used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain more than $440,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which were then used to purchase bulk food supplies at no cost to stock a local restaurant operated for profit.

Roman Vequiz Fernandez, 32, and Coralba Albarracin Siniva, 24, both Venezuelan nationals residing in Leominster, entered guilty pleas on June 12, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Worcester before Judge Margaret R. Guzman. They admitted to charges of improper use, transfer, acquisition, and possession of SNAP benefits. Sentencing is scheduled for September 22, 2026.

According to charging documents and statements from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the defendants and co-conspirators created 24 fraudulent “households” by submitting SNAP applications under the stolen identities of more than 100 individuals. These applications falsely listed the individuals as residing in two single-family apartments in Providence, Rhode Island. The scheme defrauded SNAP programs in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island of approximately $440,000.

The fraudulent SNAP benefit cards were used to make large-scale purchases of expensive bulk food items, including multiple-pound packages of chicken, beef, and pork, from local wholesalers and food markets such as BJ’s. These supplies were then used at no cost to stock El Primo Restaurant in Leominster, a business incorporated as an LLC and also operating as El Pilon Yuli Corporation. Co-defendant Raul Fernandez Vicioso, a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Dominican Republic residing in Fitchburg, operated the restaurant. With food obtained through the fraud, the group prepared and sold menu items at full profit.

Proceeds from the scheme were wired to individuals in Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and other locations. The conspiracy also involved related Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) fraud totaling around $700,000, though the guilty pleas by Fernandez and Albarracin Siniva focused on the SNAP violations.

Co-defendants Joel Vicioso Fernandez, 42, of Fitchburg (a green card holder from the Dominican Republic), and Raul Fernandez Vicioso were charged earlier in February 2026 as part of the same investigation. Court records indicate Raul Fernandez Vicioso has agreed to plead guilty to related conspiracy, fraud, and money laundering charges.

The defendants provided images of counterfeit passports and passport cards in support of the fraudulent SNAP applications. Metadata on some images showed they were taken inside or near El Primo Restaurant. Investigators from multiple agencies, including the USDA Office of Inspector General, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and others, uncovered the scheme.

Fernandez and Albarracin Siniva are described in multiple reports as Venezuelan nationals who were illegally present in the United States or whose prior temporary protected status had ended, leaving them without lawful immigration status at the time of the offenses.

This case is part of broader federal and state efforts to combat benefit fraud. In March 2026, U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team in Massachusetts. In April 2026, the Department of Justice established a National Fraud Enforcement Division to prioritize investigations into fraud against federal programs, aligning with the Trump administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The investigation highlights vulnerabilities in SNAP administration and the use of stolen identities in multi-state fraud operations tied to commercial businesses.

Prosecutors noted that the defendants operated the restaurant using taxpayer-funded benefits obtained through identity theft, turning public assistance programs into a source of private profit while wiring funds overseas. The guilty pleas mark a significant development in holding participants accountable.