BOSTON, June 15, 2004 – LAWFUEL – A Saugus husband and wife were arrested
yesterday and charged in federal court with identity theft, bank fraud, credit
card fraud and various other federal offenses.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Kenneth R. Jones, Inspector in
Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in New England; Gary Mathison,
Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of
Inspector General in New England, Robin M. Avers; Special Agent in Charge of
Immigration and Customs and Enforcement in New England; Leo Sullivan, Special
Agent in Charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration’s Office of
Inspector General in New England; James MacKay, Chief of the Saugus Police
Department; Kathleen O’Toole, Commissioner of the Boston Police Department;
and Leo A. Sacco, Chief of the Medford Police Department, announced today that
ITZA RUIZ, a/k/a Itza Galvin Santos, age 39, and HERIBERTO RUIZ, age 47, of
226 Essex Street, Saugus, Massachusetts, were arrested on an indictment
unsealed in federal court yesterday, charging them with identity theft, bank
fraud, credit card fraud and making false statements in documents required by
federal immigration law. The twenty-three count indictment also charges ITZA
RUIZ with student financial aid fraud, making false statements in loan
applications, making false statements and entries in an INS Employment
Eligibility Verification Form I-9, and misrepresentation of a social security
account number. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of the couple’s marital
home.
The indictment alleges that over a three year period, ITZA RUIZ stole the
name and personal identifiers of a woman using that identity to purchase a
$318,250 mortgage for her Saugus home. It is also alleged that ITZA RUIZ used
the stolen identity to obtain student financial aid PELL grants and
supplemental educational opportunity grants to attend college, and obtained
employment at a time when she was not a legal permanent U.S. resident. It is
alleged that RUIZ also obtained several credit cards and personal loans using
the stolen identity.
The indictment further alleges that HERIBERTO RUIZ aided and abetted ITZA
RUIZ in committing these offenses, including personally applying for, and co-
signing, the mortgage loan for their Saugus home.
Additionally, the indictment alleges that when ITZA RUIZ applied for U.S.
citizenship, ITZA RUIZ and HERIBERTO RUIZ, her sponsor, provided false
information upon which the Immigration and Naturalization Service relied in
issuing ITZA RUIZ a green card.
Following their arrests yesterday, the defendants appeared in federal
court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Collings and were each released
on a $25,000 unsecured bond. ITZA RUIZ and HERIBERTO RUIZ face up to 30
years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1 million if convicted of the bank fraud
charges, 15 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each count of credit
card fraud and identity theft, and 10 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine
on each count of making false statements in documents required by federal
immigration law.
ITZA RUIZ also faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a
$20,000 fine on each count of student financial aid fraud, 30 years’
imprisonment and a $1 million fine on each count of making false statements on
a loan application, and 5 years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine on each
count of making false statements and entries on an INS Employment Eligibility
Verification Form I-9 and misrepresentation of a social security account
number. Following their release from prison, the defendants face up to 3 to 5
years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Massachusetts Identity Theft/Financial
Crimes Task Force led by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the
assistance of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Social Security Administration,
the Saugus, Boston and Medford Police Departments. It is being prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorney Antoinette E.M. Leoney in Sullivan’s Major Crimes
Unit.