Andrew Langford, Wire Fraud, Maryland 2021

Fraudulent Scheme Brings Down Ft. Washington Man

Greenbelt, Maryland - A Maryland man has been brought to justice for his role in a disability benefits scam that netted him over $270,000 in undeserved funds. Andrew Langford, 50, of Ft. Washington, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

According to the plea agreement, Langford devised a scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA) between January 2014 and May 2021. During this time, he received disability benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as child/auxiliary benefits for his three minor children.

Langford operated two cleaning companies, NDA Cleaning Services, LLC, and CK Janitors, Inc., registered in Maryland and Virginia, respectively. However, he failed to report his income and ability to work to the SSA, concealing his ownership of the businesses and his earnings from the agency.

In August 2020, a SSA employee inquired about the businesses, and Langford falsely stated that he had never heard of NDA Janitorial Services or NDA Cleaning Services. Records, however, showed that Langford had filed Articles of Organization for NDA Cleaning Services, LLC, in March 2015, and had been listed as the resident agent for the business.

Langford also earned over $100,000 annually for tax years 2012, 2014, and 2016, as revealed by IRS records. The SSA notified Langford of an impending review of his disability case in September 2019, but he failed to provide the required documentation, leading to the SSA's decision to end his benefits.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Andrew Langford, 50, of Ft. Washington; Exact Criminal Charges: One count of wire fraud; City and State: Greenbelt, Maryland; Exact Date: n/a; Sentence: Up to 20 years in prison; Dollar Amounts: Over $270,000 in undeserved funds.

Sentencing for Langford is set for September 1 at 10:30 a.m. The case is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, and the Department of Justice has announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division to combat similar crimes.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/maryland-man-pleads-guilty-wire-fraud-charge-connection-disability-benefits-scam