CONCORD — A grand jury returned a superseding indictment against a Hampton man for his alleged involvement in four separate fraud schemes, according to U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young.
Anthony M. Silva, 39, faces 10 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of mail fraud, and 8 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Silva is expected to appear in federal court in Concord on Jan. 8.
The new charges come after Silva was previously indicted on March 21, 2022, for 3 counts each of wire fraud, misuse of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft.
Court documents and proceedings reveal that Silva allegedly used stolen personal information, including names, birthdates, Social Security Numbers, to illegally obtain unemployment benefits from both Vermont and Massachusetts, American Express credit cards, and funds from the CARES Act.
Authorities claim Silva directed over $400,000 from Vermont, $150,000 from Massachusetts, and $600,000 from the U.S.
Small Business Administration into numerous bank accounts he controlled.
These accounts were either under the victims’ names or fictitious entities with Silva as the listed trustee.
His fraudulent activities extended to purchases made at various retailers, including Victoria’s Secret.
Silva also attempted to secure additional CARES Act funds without success.
If convicted, the wire fraud and mail fraud charges could lead to a maximum of 20 years in prison and fines up to $250,000 or double the gross gain or loss, while aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory 2-year sentence consecutive to any other punishment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S.
Postal Inspection Service, Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and United States Secret Service spearheaded the investigation.
