Man Charged In Worcester Identity Theft Is Puerto Rican Fugitive

WORCESTER, MA — A Worcester man who is charged with Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft, was also a fugitive in Puerto Rico. According to court documents, Jose Lopez Rosado, 51, escaped from prison in Puerto Rico in 1994 while serving a 40-year sentence for second degree murder. He is now in state custody on unrelated charges.

Lopez Rosado was arrested and charged in a July 2018 federal law enforcement sweep of 25 individuals accused of document and benefit fraud. Dubbed “Double Trouble,” the July 2018 investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force. According to the office of U.S. District Attorney Andrew Lelling, Lopez Rosado applied for a duplicate Massachusetts driver’s license in February 2016, using someone else's name and Social Security number.

Based on the application, Lopez Rosado was given the duplicate driver’s license and he also used that false name and Social Security number to receive MassHealth benefits, according to the U.S. District Attorney.

Lopez Rosado pleaded guilty to one count of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 for the Social Security charge and two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, for the identity theft charge.

Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 31, 2019.