A cattle ranch owner in Missouri has been brought to justice after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $150,000 in federal disability benefits.
According to a federal court filing, Allan Dalton, 55, of Leeton, Mo., waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a federal information charging him with theft of government money on September 16, 2013.
Dalton concealed his work activity from the Social Security Administration as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain a total of $147,070 in disability payments, the court documents revealed.
As part of the scheme, Dalton applied for disability benefits in October 1999, claiming to be medically disabled and unable to work due to rotator cuff injuries. However, he went on to operate a cattle ranch as early as 1999 and by June 2004, his work activity at the ranch was substantial and precluded him from receiving Social Security disability payments.
Despite this, Dalton continued to receive disability payments, and between June 2004 and June 2011, he took out numerous loans for his cattle operation, including a loan of over $100,000 in October 2007 and a loan of over $70,000 in March 2008. Loan documents from this time period showed that Dalton owned significant assets, including livestock, land and farm equipment.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Dalton admitted that he willfully failed to timely disclose his work activity at his ranch to SSA because he wanted to continue to receive Title II disability payments that he was not entitled to receive. In addition to the disability payments, Dalton fraudulently obtained a $250 economic stimulus payment under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Under federal statutes, Dalton is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Related Federal Cases
- Hamid Reza Tahmasebi, Theft of Government Property, Missouri 2015 · Kansas
- Olusola Luke, Conspiracy, Theft of Government Funds, Missouri 2013 · Florida
- Lisa Kaye Barwick-Majeski, Counterfeit Money Orders and Checks Scheme, Missouri 2023 · Illinois
- John Dean Townsend, Conspiracy to Commit Identity Theft and Access Device Fraud, Missouri 2023 · Idaho
- Tamara Jones, Fiduciary Theft, Missouri 2023 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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