Pawtucket Man Admits to Defrauding Federally Funded Benefit Programs Using Stolen Identities, Altering and Cashing Stolen U.S. Treasury Checks
Apr 3, 2025
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man with a lengthy record of arrests and convictions for financial fraud admitted to a federal judge on Tuesday that he defrauded the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the U.S. Treasury out of more than $100,000 combined, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Reynaldo Martinez, 32, admitted that he obtained at least 40 SNAP EBT cards through the use of stolen identities and stolen or fraudulent Social Security numbers. Court documents reflect that Martinez appeared in person at multiple Rhode Island Department of Human Services offices and filed applications for SNAP benefits. He did this by presenting fraudulent drivers’ licenses in various names but depicting his own photograph, and using Social Security numbers assigned to others, including that of a deceased individual, living adult citizens, and at least one juvenile.
Martinez admitted to fraudulently securing at least $33,192.36 in SNAP benefits.
In a second fraud scheme, Martinez admitted to cashing altered United States Treasury checks made payable to himself. Martinez and co-conspirators obtained checks made payable to others, then altered the checks to reflect counterfeit or fraudulent driver’s licenses they presented when cashing or depositing the checks.
The total amount of fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks cashed or deposited was approximately $79,532.32.
Martinez pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and one count each of misuse of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Court records illustrate that Martinez was previously arrested and convicted on multiple occasions in multiple states on fraud related and other criminal charges dating back to 2012.
For example, in November 2017, Martinez pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of access fraud, and one count each of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, attempted access fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen goods. He was sentenced to 48 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I Roklan.
The matters were investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit – Fraud Detection & Prevention Unit, Rhode Island State Police, Pawtucket Police Department, Warwick Police Department, West Warwick Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Foxborough, MA, Police Department, and Walmart Global Investigations.
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