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Colombian woman charged with identity theft, stealing $250K in housing benefits
Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez applied for a passport and a driver’s license using the information of another person, authorities claim.
A Colombian woman living in Boston was arrested Wednesday and charged with identity theft and stealing over $250,000 in housing benefits, officials said.
Lina Maria Orovio-Hernandez, 58, applied for a United States passport and a Massachusetts driver’s license using the information of another person, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Orovio-Hernandez allegedly used the stolen identity to acquire illegitimate Section 8 housing benefits worth about $259,589 from October 2011 to January 2025, according to the statement.
Orovio-Hernandez appeared in federal court in Boston on Feb. 12 and was indicted on one count of misuse of a Social Security number, one count of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport, and one count of theft of government money.
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