Man sentenced to prison for illegal reentry, social security fraud

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Officials announced Wednesday that a Honduran national who illegally reentered the country was sentenced to federal prison for social security fraud.

The United States Attorney’s Office for Rhode Island said 42-year-old Belfran Joel Najera-Chirinos used the Social Security number of another individual to gain employment with a local shipbuilder.

Najera-Chirinos had been removed from the United States on three occasions prior to his reentry, admitting to a federal judge that he was removed from the country in 2018 and two more times in 2019.

He was arrested in Providence in January 2023 after his fourth illegal crossing.

Najera-Chirinos pleaded guilty on Jan. 31 to charges of illegal reentry after deportation and Social Security fraud.

He was sentenced on May 9 to 18 months in federal prison followed by one year of federal supervised release.