A Bradenton woman, Jane Doe, also known as Rosario Alaniz, has been indicted on multiple federal charges including passport fraud, Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and theft of government funds. The indictment was announced by United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida.
Doe, 69, faces one count of passport fraud, two counts of Social Security fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and two counts of theft related to government funds. If found guilty, she could face up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge, up to 10 years for the passport and each theft charge, and a maximum of five years for each Social Security fraud count.
According to court documents, Doe is accused of using a fraudulent identity to obtain a U.S. passport. She allegedly used this false identity to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the Department of Agriculture and disability insurance benefits from the Social Security Administration. The indictment states that Doe failed to report employment income and received approximately $183,800 in government benefits either when she was not eligible or in amounts exceeding what she was authorized.
“An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty,” according to the announcement.
The investigation involved several agencies: the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel will prosecute the case.
Officials noted that although these events took place previously, public disclosure was delayed due to a government shutdown.
