Illegal immigrant ‘posed as veteran who died in 1994 for YEARS to get VA and social security benefits worth $30,000’

Daily Mail – by Ollie Gillman

An illegal immigrant who allegedly posed as a dead veteran for years to claim VA and social security benefits has been arrested.

Rene Ortiz Quintana, 69, has been accused of stealing the identity of late veteran Ruben Gallardo, who died in 1994.

Quintana has been in the United States illegally for around 50 years and assumed the identity of Mr Gallardo in October 2012, police said.  

The undocumented immigrant used the vet’s identity to get VA, social security and other federal, state and local benefits worth nearly $30,000, according to court papers.

Quintana got an Arizona ID card, a VA choice card, a state health card, and a health plan card in Phoenix, police told ABC 15.

The 69-year-old man would have been able to use the veterans’ card to get fast-tracked care at VA hospitals and medical care at non-VA hospitals.

Quintana was handed benefits worth $29,062.19 after claiming social security under the name Ruben Gallardo, authorities said.

It is not clear whether the immigrant will have to pay back the money.

Quintana was arrested on May 19 and has been charged with fraud, theft, seven counts of identity theft and six counts of forgery.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3611044/Illegal-immigrant-posed-veteran-died-1994-VA-social-security-benefits-worth-30-000-YEARS.html#ixzz49n8YxI4W
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2 thoughts on “Illegal immigrant ‘posed as veteran who died in 1994 for YEARS to get VA and social security benefits worth $30,000’

  1. Sentence him to general population in Levenworth, the convicted GI’s in there will take good care of him…

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