A 39-year-old Haverhill man pleaded guilty Monday to using the stolen identities of U. S. citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles and other merchandise and open and use bank and credit card accounts.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston described Alvin Rivera as the “leader of a conspiracy in Massachusetts that used stolen identity information of United States citizens to obtain credit and goods.” Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. He pleaded guilty to similar schemes in two cases, one in Massachusetts and another in New Jersey.
U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing in both cases for June 15.
As WHAV reported at the time, Rivera was part of a group of eight people charged in September 2020 and later indicted by a federal grand jury. Officials said in a press release Rivera and the group visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. To support the applications, they provided stolen biographical information from citizens, using fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards as proof of identification. They also illegally opened bank accounts and credit cards and purchased vehicles, many of which were exported out of the country.
U.S. Attorney Rachael S. Rollins’ office credited assistance from the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments.