Florida woman used stolen identity for 15 years, obtained nearly $40,000 worth of food stamps: DOJ
Watch FOX 35 live
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - A Kissimmee woman was sentenced to federal prison after stealing someone's identity shortly after she left Puerto Rico back in 2008, the Department of Justice said.
Nilda Medina-Veguilla, 38, is headed to prison for 31 months for passport fraud, identity theft, and food stamp fraud.
According to the DOJ, Medina-Veguilla left Puerto Rico in 2008 after a warrant was issued for her arrest for counterfeit and illegal appropriation charges.
In the same year, she moved to the U.S. and got an ID card and Florida driver's license in someone else's name. Medina-Veguilla used the stolen identity for 15 years including when getting married and divorced, for criminal arrests, for employment and tax purposes, and to receive food stamps.
On Feb. 23, 2021, she applied for a U.S. passport in Orlando, using the stolen identity's name, birthday, and social security number. Medina-Veguilla also submitted the person whose identity she stole, Puerto Rican birth certificate, and a fraudulently obtained Florida driver's license.
Between 2013 and 2022, Medina-Veguilla applied for food stamps using addresses in Central Florida amassing $39,088 worth of food stamps.
The court also entered an order of forfeiture for the $39,088 that Medina-Veguilla fraudulently obtained.