Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Time-Served for Social Security Fraud

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Apolonio Montes Garcia, 40, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to time-served (about 2½ months) for social security fraud.  Montes Garcia had been in custody since October 11, 2017.  Montes Garcia pleaded guilty to the charge on November 14, 2017.

Court records reveal that on April 4, 2017, Montes Garcia attempted to gain entry to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.  At the time, Montes Garcia was working for a contractor doing repairs at the Shipyard.  In order to gain entry, he was asked to provide identification.  He presented Shipyard security personnel with a permanent resident card and a social security card, both bearing the same name that was not his.  The social security card also bore a social security number that was not assigned to Montes Garcia. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations, the U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service