David James Dean Gets 5 Years Probation for $92K Social Security Scam

David James Dean, 40, of Carlton, Pennsylvania, stole $92,928 in Social Security benefits over nearly a decade while living beyond his means, passing himself off as an entitled recipient while defrauding the federal government. The Mercer County man was sentenced in federal court in Erie, PA, to 5 years probation and 6 months of home detention after pleading guilty to theft of government property and social security fraud.

Senior United States District Judge Gustave Diamond handed down the sentence, which also includes full restitution of $92,928.00, following Dean’s admitted theft of Social Security Survivor’s Benefits totaling $28,097. From August 9, 2006, to May 18, 2015, Dean knowingly collected payments he had no legal right to receive—funds meant for the vulnerable, not for personal exploitation.

But Dean’s scheme didn’t stop there. Between August 9, 2006, and July 8, 2015, he applied for Social Security Administration Child’s Insurance Benefits on behalf of a minor child—then diverted every dollar for his own use. He received $65,175 in benefits that were never intended for him, funneling money meant to protect a child into his own pockets.

Dean didn’t just game the system—he gutted it. For nearly ten years, he filed false claims, dodged oversight, and lived off taxpayer-funded checks. His actions weren’t desperate or accidental—they were deliberate, calculated, and repeated over hundreds of transactions. He wasn’t down on his luck. He was a fraudster with a plan.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini, who secured the conviction with evidence collected through a rigorous investigation by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. Federal agents combed through records, traced payments, and exposed Dean’s web of deception piece by piece.

Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song made no apologies in her statement, commending the investigators who brought Dean to justice. “Stealing from Social Security is not a victimless crime,” she said. “It robs hardworking Americans of their trust in a system meant to protect the most vulnerable. This sentence sends a message: we’re watching, and we will prosecute those who exploit it.”