Patricia Grifoni Guilty in $51K Social Security Fraud

Patricia Grifoni, a 53-year-old East Boston woman, pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Social Security Administration of $51,530 in federal disability benefits meant for her daughter. The scam stretched for years, built on a lie that unraveled under federal scrutiny.

Grifoni began receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits in 1993 on behalf of her disabled daughter—funds doled out based on financial need. But by 1995, she falsely claimed her husband no longer lived in the home, cutting him out of the household income calculation. That lie became the engine of her fraud.

In reality, Grifoni’s husband never left. He lived under the same roof as her and their daughter continuously since at least 2005. His income alone would have disqualified the family from receiving benefits. Yet Grifoni kept collecting—illegally pocketing $51,530 between 2005 and 2011.

She admitted to the scheme today before U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf in Boston. Sentencing is set for March 10, 2017. Federal prosecutors laid out the consequences: up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or double the gross gain, whichever is higher.

The case was announced jointly by United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. Investigators from the Boston Field Division of the OIG led the probe, exposing years of deliberate deception.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting. While federal sentences often fall below the maximum, the court will weigh the full extent of Grifoni’s deceit under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The message is clear: scamming the safety net carries a price.