Identity Thief Sentenced: Former Melrose Firefighter Behind Bars

MELROSE, MA — A former Melrose firefighter was sentenced in federal court this week after pleading guilty to multiple identity theft charges.

Truong Nguyen, 50, was sentenced to 25 months in prison on Thursday. In March, he pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated identity theft and passport fraud. Nguyen, whose identity was not known at the time of his original arrest, reportedly used the identification of a 13-year-old who died in Boston in 2002. He provided the 13-year-old’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, a copy of the victim’s U.S. birth certificate, a Massachusetts driver’s license with the victim’s information purporting to be his own back in 2023. He used the false identity to obtain two EMT certifications.

Following his prison sentence, the Braintree resident is subject to deportation back to his native country of Vietnam.