A Vietnamese man residing in Braintree, Massachusetts, known as John Doe or "Truong Nguyen," has pleaded guilty to charges of passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. The plea was entered in federal court in Boston, with U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper setting sentencing for June 12, 2025.
Doe was arrested and charged in May 2024 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He had been released on conditions that included an unsecured bond of $50,000.
In March 2023, Doe applied for a passport at the U.S. post office in Weymouth using the identity of a deceased individual identified as HH. He presented the victim's date of birth, Social Security number, and other identification documents to support his application. However, the Boston Passport Agency flagged the application after discovering a death record for HH and forwarded it to federal law enforcement.
Investigations revealed that Doe had used the victim's identity since at least June 2018 to obtain various government-issued identification documents, including Massachusetts driver's licenses and a Social Security card. He also obtained EMT certifications under the stolen identity and worked at the Melrose Fire Department until his arrest.
Further investigations uncovered that Doe was involved in an RMV fraud hearing in August 2018 after being issued Massachusetts driver's licenses under two identities: Truong Nguyen and the deceased victim's name. At this hearing, he claimed the victim's identity as his own.
The investigation linked Doe to Truong Nguyen's records dating back to 1997 when Nguyen entered the United States from Vietnam as a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR). His LPR status was revoked following a conviction for second-degree burglary in 1991, leading to deportation orders which were never executed. In 2010, Nguyen faced arrest again for embezzlement and larceny involving over $46,000 from the Norwell Firefighters Union.
During his plea hearing, John Doe confirmed under oath that his true identity is Truong Nguyen.
For making false statements on a passport application, Doe faces up to ten years imprisonment along with fines and supervised release. Aggravated identity theft carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of two years imprisonment. Following any imposed sentence completion, deportation proceedings will commence against him.
The announcement came from United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Matthew O’Brien of the Department of State/Diplomatic Security Service; Braintree Police Chief Tim Cohoon; Melrose Police Chief Kevin M. Faller; Melrose Fire Chief John White; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan; Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey with Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus prosecuting this case.