A Mexican man who was deported twice and had a history of arrests was able to assume the identity of an American citizen and receive more than $360,000 in government benefits for nearly four decades, California court records show.
Andres Avelino Anduaga used a fake birth certificate starting in 1980 to develop a seemingly legitimate persona by applying for a California driver's license, Social Security number and U.S. passport, according to documents obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune. The official U.S. documents identified him as Abraham Riojos, born in Texas in 1958.
Anduaga, who's actually 66 years old and a resident of Tijuana, Mexico, pleaded guilty last week in San Diego to theft of public property and being a previously removed unauthorized immigrant in the U.S., the newspaper reported Saturday.
He has agreed to pay back government agencies what he stole but could face additional fines and 12 years in prison when sentenced in May.
$360 k in 37 years? That's not even $10 k per year, not even a living wage. Now wonder he couldn't afford to live in the US!
Investigators turned to border crossing records, finding frequent travels indicating Riojos had likely been living in Mexico.
So where did the money come from?
An analysis of Anduaga's benefits showed he first applied for Supplemental Security Income benefits in 1989 and was awarded payments retroactive to 1988. He received monthly payments — $244,441 total — until Aug. 1, 2016, according to his plea agreement.
He also qualified for Medi-Cal benefits and payments and received $112,981 total. In addition, he illegally received more than $3,486 in food stamps under a county program, according to records.
DACA ends with a whimper:
DACA's March 5 'deadline' marks only inaction. Trump offered Democrats a great deal, and they refused. They'd rather have the issue than a solution.
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