BOSTON — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Massachusetts), published as received.

BOSTON – A Chelsea resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Boston in connection with stealing the identity of an American armed services veteran.

Noe Arturo Castillo, 43, of Chelsea, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 24 months in prison and ordered to pay $21,082 to the federal government.  In July 2015, Castillo pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, passport fraud, theft of public money, and misuse of a Social Security number.

Castillo, who is presently a legal permanent resident of the United States but originally from Guatemala, unlawfully entered the United States in 1994, at which time he obtained a driver’s license and Social Security card in the identity of an American citizen who served in the armed forces.  In 2005, Castillo applied for a U.S. passport in the victim’s identity.  Castillo then secured a job using the victim’s identity and had his paycheck directly deposited into a bank account using the victim’s identity.  Castillo was later terminated from the job and began collecting unemployment benefits in the victim’s identity, to which he was not entitled.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; David W. Hall, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Boston Field Office; Cheryl Garcia, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, New York Regional Office; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today.  The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos A. López and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry of Ortiz’s Criminal Division.