A Vietnamese man residing right here illegally who stole the identification of a useless baby, utilizing it to work as a firefighter and paramedic, has been sentenced to federal jail.
Truong Nguyen, 50, who has been residing in Braintree, was sentenced in Boston federal court docket to greater than two years in jail for passport fraud and aggravated identification theft.
Nguyen stole the identification of a 13-year-old useless baby and finally used the stolen identification to work as a paramedic and firefighter, attending the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, and securing employment on the Melrose Fireplace Division within the title of the late baby, the feds mentioned.
Nguyen, who pleaded responsible to passport fraud and aggravated identification theft, is topic to deportation following the 25-month sentence.
Again in 1995, he had been ordered deported after being convicted of second-degree housebreaking.
However Nguyen was not deported to Vietnam. He was later arrested in 2010 for embezzlement and larceny after allegedly stealing greater than $46,000 from the Norwell Firefighters Union whereas working as an officer of the union.
“This defendant has illegally resided in the Unites States for over 30 years, assuming false identities to dodge deportation resulting from a 1991 felony conviction,” Massachusetts U.S. Legal professional Leah Foley mentioned in a press release.
“For the last six years, Mr. Nguyen exploited the identity of a deceased child to avoid accountability for a litany of criminal offenses, including attempting to obtain a U.S. passport and falsifying information to become a firefighter,” Foley added. “Such identity fraud undermines the integrity of our identification systems. Our office is committed to holding accountable those who steal American identities and manipulate our public institutions for personal gain.”
Nguyen in 2023 submitted a passport utility on the submit workplace in Weymouth, presenting himself to be a person recognized because the useless baby.
Then the Boston Passport Company forwarded his passport utility and supporting paperwork to federal legislation enforcement, after verifying a demise report for the kid. The Social Safety quantity, date of start and parental data supplied by Nguyen matched the information for the kid who died in 2002. The passport was not issued to the Nguyen.
The feds decided that Nguyen used the kid’s identification to acquire and use a number of government-issued identification paperwork within the baby’s title, together with Massachusetts driver’s licenses, in addition to a Social Safety card.
Nguyen additionally used the kid’s identification to acquire an EMT-Fundamental Certification in 2021 and an EMT-Paramedic Certification in 2023, earlier than making use of for employment as a paramedic, once more utilizing the stolen identification.
He used the kid’s identification to attend the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. After graduating, Nguyen started employment with the Melrose Fireplace Division within the title of the kid, the place he labored till his arrest in Might 2024.
