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Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Social Welfare Programs
A Seattle man who operated a successful landscaping and hauling company was sentenced to prison today for defrauding benefit programs of more than $60,000, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan.
Over five years, VERNAL LEMUEL MORRIS, 59, defrauded Social Security, the Seattle Housing Authority and the federal food stamp program. MORRIS repeatedly told welfare agencies he was so disabled he could not bathe or dress himself. In fact, MORRIS owned and operated B&V Lawn and Hauling, with as many as six employees, a website and trucks.
MORRIS was responsible for the company’s advertising, sales, customer relations, and for the supervision of the employees. U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour sentenced MORRIS to five months in prison, three years of supervised release and $60,726 in restitution.
According to records filed in the case, MORRIS first applied for Social Security Disability payments in August 2004 claiming he had a psychological disability. The claim was rejected, and MORRIS appealed to an Administrative Law Judge. MORRIS claimed he was unable to bathe, that he could not stand for more than 20 minutes, and that he was afraid to leave his home.
Based on these claims the judge found MORRIS eligible for benefits and he collected $31,313 in disability benefits from October 2007 to August 2012. Over those years MORRIS repeatedly represented to the Social Security Administration that he had difficulty dressing and bathing himself and could not drive.
In addition to the Social Security Fraud, MORRIS defrauded the Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) by fraudulently obtaining rent subsidy funds provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). MORRIS applied for housing in January 2009, and collected $21,284 in benefits by claiming he was not employed and had no income other than the Social Security benefits.
Finally, MORRIS fraudulently obtained $8,192 in benefits from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) for food and medical care. Between May 2007 and October 2011 he falsely claimed he had no income or assets in order to obtain food stamps and medical coupons.
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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