A Colombian national in the U.S. illegally is now staring down decades in federal prison after she allegedly collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in public assistance and allegedly cast a ballot in the 2024 election.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 59, has managed to live in the U.S. illegally for more than two decades after she assumed a stolen identity. Through that stolen ID, she allegedly obtained nine other state IDs, including a REAL ID from Massachusetts. She also applied for a U.S. passport, claiming to be a citizen born in Puerto Rico, court documents said.
‘The right to vote is one of the many privileges of being a US citizen. Government funded programs for those in need are intended to be safety nets for those living in our country lawfully.’
That alleged stolen identity also provided Orovio-Hernandez access to various public assistance programs. In all, she has been accused of stealing more than $400,000 in improper benefits: nearly 15 years’ worth of Section 8 rental assistance totaling $259,589; more than a decade of Social Security benefits worth $101,257; and almost 20 years of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits worth another $43,348, the DOJ press release claimed.
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Screenshot of court documents
Moreover, Orovio-Hernandez reportedly used the stolen identity to register to vote in Boston, Massachusetts, in January 2023. “In Section F of that application, labeled ‘Voter Registration,’ the defendant checked a box affirming that she was a U.S. citizen,” court documents said.
Then on November 5, 2024, a ballot was cast under the alleged stolen identity, the City of Boston Election Department reported, according to court documents. Security footage taken at a bank in Boston that day appeared to capture Orovio-Hernandez wearing an “I voted” sticker on her shirt.
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Orovio-Hernandez has now been charged with one count of false representation of a Social Security number, one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport, one count of aggravated identity theft, three counts of receiving stolen government money or property, one count of fraudulent voter registration, and one count of fraudulent voting.
Many of those charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, so if convicted, Orovio-Hernandez could end up serving decades behind bars in addition to paying heavy fines. She could also be deported.
“For more than 20 years, this defendant is alleged to have built an entire life on the foundation of a stolen identity — including illegally voting in our presidential election and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits intended for Americans in need,” said a statement from United States Attorney Leah Foley, according to the press release.
“The right to vote is one of the many privileges of being a U.S. citizen. Government-funded programs for those in need are intended to be safety nets for those living in our country lawfully — not support an illegal alien without a right to be here. Ms. Orovio-Hernandez was entitled to none of these privileges as a Colombian citizen who was unlawfully in this country.”
H/T: Fox News
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Illegal immigrant, Illegal alien, Illegal immigrant voting, Voter fraud, Stolen identity, Lina maria orovio-hernandez, Real id, Politics
