A 62-year-old Mexican national living illegally in Houston admitted to taking more than $278,000 in government benefits over a 13-year span using someone else’s Social Security identity, according to federal authorities.
Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck acknowledged that Ana Silvia Garcia began using a Social Security number belonging to a US citizen in 1992. She used a fictitious name to file immigration petitions for family members and obtain disability and Medicare benefits.
Authorities revealed that Garcia got the payments from 2013 until February 2026. She wasn’t entitled to the benefits.
Prosecutors say Garcia admitted her true identity after being arrested in February.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge will sentence Garcia on July 2. She faces up to ten years in federal prison for theft of government funds, as well as a two-year mandatory consecutive term for aggravated identity theft.
Garcia is still in detention pending his sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, with help from Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations. Stephanie Bauman, an assistant US attorney, is prosecuting the case.
Leave a Reply