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Colombian man illegally living in Houston posed as US citizen, collected $588K in benefits: indictment

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Published  May 23, 2025 2:40pm CDT
Houston
FOX 26 Houston

The Brief

    • A Colombian man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a U.S. citizen for nine years.
    • Suarez faces charges for fraudulently collecting $588,000 in benefits via identity theft.
    • If convicted, he could receive over a decade in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.

HOUSTON - A Colombian man illegally living in Houston has been arrested after impersonating a U.S. citizen for more than 9 years, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Javier Nunez Suarez, 39, was charged with theft of government funds, false representation of a U.S. citizen and aggravated identity theft.

Identity theft arrest

The backstory:

An indictment for Suarez claims he fraudulently applied for and received disability benefits from the Social Security Administration in Feb. 2016 by impersonating a U.S. citizen.

Suarez also allegedly qualified for Medicaid benefits.

The indictment says he collected $588,000 until he was arrested.

What's next:

Suarez's case will be tried in federal court.

If Suarez is convicted, he will face up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.

He also could be sentenced to two years in prison for aggravated identity theft that must be served consecutively.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Texas.

HoustonImmigrationCrime and Public Safety