A Vietnamese man living in Braintree, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 25 months in prison for passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Truong Nguyen, also known as “John Doe,” used the identity of a deceased child to work as a paramedic and firefighter. He attended the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and was employed at the Melrose Fire Department under the victim’s name.
Nguyen, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper and faces deportation after serving his sentence. In March 2025, he pleaded guilty to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft after being arrested in May 2024.
“This defendant has illegally resided in the United States for over 30 years,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “For the last six years, Mr. Nguyen exploited the identity of a deceased child.”
Matthew O’Brien from the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) stated that their investigation led to charges against Nguyen for assuming a deceased child’s identity.
In March 2023, Nguyen applied for a passport using the victim’s details at a post office in Weymouth. The Boston Passport Agency flagged his application when they found a death record for the victim.
The investigation revealed that Nguyen obtained various government-issued identification documents using the victim’s name since June 2018, including driver’s licenses and Social Security cards.
Nguyen also secured EMT certifications using this stolen identity before applying for paramedic jobs. From November 2023 to January 2024, he attended firefighting training under this false identity.
Further investigations showed that Nguyen had previously faced an RMV fraud hearing due to holding multiple identities on driver’s licenses issued by Massachusetts authorities.
Court records indicate that Nguyen entered the U.S. from Vietnam in 1979 as a Legal Permanent Resident but was ordered deported following a burglary conviction in 1991.
U.S. Attorney Foley announced these developments with DSS SAC O’Brien, acknowledging assistance from local police departments and district attorney offices involved in prosecuting this case.
