Providence man admits to passport fraud, identity theft for Social Security benefits

PROVIDENCE, R.I, (WLNE) — United State Attorney Zachary Cunha said Friday that a Providence man admitted to fraudulently collecting Social Security disability benefits while working under another name.

Leonardo Durango pled guilty on Thursday to charges of concealment to disclose affecting rights to Social Security Administration benefits payments, passport fraud, and theft of government property.

The 62-year-old admitted to collecting more than $230,000 in disability benefits under his own name while using another person’s name to continue to work.

Cunha said Durango also admitted to using the name of the person without their knowledge to collect more than $26,000 in federally funded COVID-related unemployment benefits he was not entitled to. He also made a false statement in a U.S. passport application.

Durango is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 12.