BOSTON — U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the appointment of two federal veteran prosecutors in charge of a newly formed Benefit and Voter Fraud Team featuring a public hotline to investigate fraud in taxpayer funded services including SNAP, MassHealth, childcare subsidies, and voter fraud.
The Thursday announcement, detailed in an official press release and promoted via X post is yet another federal response to what Foley described as ‘rampant benefit fraud’ across Massachusetts.
A dedicated hotline — 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 — was established to encourage public reporting of potential fraud. The latest development aligns with recent efforts under Vice President J.D. Vance’s Anti-Fraud Task Force and the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division to eradicate the nationwide epidemic.
The District of Massachusetts has unveiled the Benefit and Voter Fraud Team designed specifically to target fraud in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), MassHealth, childcare subsidies and voter fraud.
The response comes as evidence of widespread exploitation of these benefits unfolds, with Foley stating that “insufficient guardrails” have allowed this activity to persist. Under the new initiative, the office will now commit to independent investigations in support of national fraud prevention efforts.
[Related – The Maine Wire: Quincy Department of Elder Services Director Guilty On Fraud Charges With Paper Trail Starting In 2018]
Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Mallard and Mark Grady are designated as Fraud Coordinators that will oversee the team.
Mallard is a longtime state and federal prosecutor that comes with prior experience investigating gangs, murders, and various fraud cases.
Grady brings nearly 25 years of experience as Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Unit as a federal prosecutor and experience with public corruption, now supervising relevant federal investigations and prosecutions. The tandem bring over 40 years of experience in prosecution, as noted by Foley.
Since December 2025, Foley’s office has already charged 15 individuals in connection to nearly $9 million dollars in fraud to include SNAP and MassHealth exploitation schemes.
The press release also notes the same day the team was formed, nine additional individuals have been charged in a recent crackdown on fraud schemes exploiting stolen identities.
The case involves a Dominican national accused of stealing nearly $300,000 dollars from SNAP, Social Security and MassHealth while using a fake identity. The identity used simultaneously received benefits in multiple states, including 495 identities receiving SNAP benefits in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico for two years.
[Related – The Maine Wire: Massachusetts Pimp Running Running Interstate Trafficking Ring Into Maine]
The new hotline encourages members of the public to directly report suspicions of fraud directly. As mentioned in Foley’s X post she states, “It is time to hold criminals stealing taxpayer benefits accountable.” The hotline will be used as a practical mechanism that enhances community involvement when identifying fraud.
The new team will also draw resources from a range of federal partners, including Homeland Security Investigations in New England, along with a plethora of other agencies. The coordinated effort intends to strengthen investigations and prosecutions across multiple industries at risk. Foley emphasized the seriousness of the effort and marked a clear operational commitment to accountability for fraud within taxpayer funded programs in the northeast.
You can read the entire press release here: U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley Announces Fraud Coordinators and Benefit & Voter Fraud Team
