A Worcester man collected about $12,623 in food stamps under the identity of a person who died in 2006, and Massachusetts approved his application even after a caseworker’s note flagged a possible death match, federal prosecutors say. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced the indictment on October 1.
Prosecutors say the man, identified in their announcement as John Doe, used the name and Social Security number of a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. That citizen died in 2006. The office alleges the defendant had been living under the stolen identity since at least 2001, and that he collected benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP and formerly as food stamps, from April 2022 through February 2026.
The caseworker’s note on the 2022 application
The unusual part of the case is what the state’s own file allegedly shows. According to the indictment announcement, a worker at the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, the agency that runs SNAP in the state, typed a note on the 2022 application that read “Death match ??? – reviewing with supervisor [sic].” The bracketed “sic” is the prosecutors’ marker, showing the note is quoted exactly as written.
The note suggests the worker saw a hit indicating the Social Security number belonged to someone reported as dead. Prosecutors say the department nonetheless approved the application. The announcement does not say who the supervisor was or what was discussed. It also does not say what, if anything, the department has changed since.
That leaves a question that matters to every household that applies for benefits: how does a dead person’s identity pass a review that appears to have flagged it? For people who receive SNAP, or help a relative apply, the practical stakes are two-sided. Applications that rely on a stolen identity are fraud, and they also put more scrutiny on the ordinary applicants whose paperwork has to match government records.
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What prosecutors say the man collected
The $12,623 figure is described by prosecutors as approximate. It covers the period from April 2022, when the application was approved, through February 2026. The announcement describes the money as benefits the defendant “allegedly proceeded to collect” after the approval. An indictment is a formal accusation, not a finding of guilt, and the man is presumed innocent unless convicted in court.
The announcement also points to the penalty attached to the identity charge. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum of two years in prison under federal law, a sentence that is added on top of any penalty for the underlying fraud. The announcement does not list a trial date.
How the federal government defines SNAP fraud
The Department of Agriculture, which funds SNAP and sets its rules, lists lying about income or identity to receive benefits as recipient fraud. Its penalties include disqualification from the program, fines and imprisonment. The agency page was last updated on September 8, 2026.
The Social Security Administration draws the same line from the other side. It says fraud occurs when a person intentionally gives false information to receive benefits. Its inspector general’s office lists misusing a Social Security number or Social Security benefits among the reportable offenses. That is the category a dead person’s number would fall into.
The Department of Agriculture’s inspector general, an investigating arm separate from the state agencies that approve cases, says its hotline covers benefit trafficking, false income claims and ineligible retailer transactions, alongside misuse of reimbursement funds. The scope includes SNAP, WIC and school meals.
Reporting identity misuse before it spreads
For families, the case lands in a familiar place: what to do when a relative’s identity may be in use by someone else. Two free official routes exist. The Social Security Administration’s inspector general runs a fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271, listed on the agency’s fraud page. The Agriculture Department’s inspector general takes SNAP complaints at (202) 690-1622, according to its reporting page.
Reporting a dead relative’s identity in use
Families who settle an estate can keep a copy of the death certificate with the estate papers, which makes it easier to show an agency that a number belongs to someone who has died. Anyone who sees a benefits notice, a tax form or a credit inquiry in a deceased relative’s name should write down the date and the agency, then call the Social Security hotline or the Agriculture hotline above, depending on the benefit involved.
The Social Security hotline belongs to an inspector general, an investigating office that sits apart from the agencies that approve benefits. Reports there go to investigators who can refer cases to federal prosecutors, the route the Worcester case took.
The U.S. Attorney’s announcement, dated October 1, is the only public account of the case so far. The charges are allegations, and the court record will determine what is proved.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by The Financial Wire’s editorial team.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
