Hstoday man arrested for using deceased person's identity to work at fire department

A man, whose true identity remains unknown, was arrested yesterday for allegedly using the stolen identity of a deceased person to obtain government-issued identification documents, employment and professional certifications. The individual, named John Doe, of Quincy, was charged with one count of making false statements on a passport application and aggravated identity theft. After his initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Doe was taken into custody pending a hearing scheduled for May 29, 2024 at 2 p.m.

According to charging documents, Doe used the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a victim who died in 2002. He allegedly obtained and used several government-issued identification documents in the victim's name , including Massachusetts driver's licenses, as well as copies of the victim's birth certificate and Social Security card. Using these documents, it is alleged that Doe posed as the victim to apply for a job as a paramedic, obtain EMT-Basic certification, attend and graduate from a firefighting academy and obtain employment with the Melrose Fire Department. In March 2023, Doe applied for a U.S. passport using the victim's stolen identity. However, a passport application for the victim had already been executed by the victim's mother in 1989 and, therefore, no passport was issued to Doe.

The investigation revealed that facial recognition technology identified a second Massachusetts driver's license issued to Doe under the name Truong Nguyen. According to charging documents, Nguyen entered the United States from Vietnam in 1979 and was deported in 1991 following a conviction for second-degree burglary. Despite this, Nguyen was never physically removed. In 2010, Nguyen was arrested on embezzlement and theft charges for allegedly stealing more than $46,000 from the Norwell Firefighters Union while he was a union officer.

The charge of making a false statement on a passport application carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the laws governing sentencing in a criminal case.

The arrest announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Matthew O'Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Field Office in Boston; Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy; Melrose Police Chief Kevin M. Faller; John White, Acting Chief of the Melrose Fire Department; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.