Dennis Paulsen, Social Security Theft, South Carolina 2023

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Blythewood Man Stole $1.5M from VA, SSA

Columbia, SC – Dennis Paulsen, a 45-year-old Blythewood resident, has been convicted of stealing over $1.5 million from the United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Social Security Administration.

According to court documents, Paulsen, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the early 1990s, began receiving a monthly VA benefit as a result of his diagnosis. However, Paulsen became dissatisfied with the amount he was receiving and began a pattern of malingering, feigning and exaggerating his impairments to increase his benefits.

Paulsen’s scheme, which spanned over two decades, included lying to his doctors, presenting himself as house- and wheelchair-bound, and making false claims that he required daily professional medical care to live. Despite his claims, Paulsen lived an active lifestyle, including riding his motorcycle and jet skis, playing baseball and golf, and even selling his home in Virginia for over half a million dollars.

The investigation, which was conducted by the Office of Inspector General for the Veteran’s Administration and Social Security Administration, included undercover agents, surveillance, and photographs and video footage from banks, stores, and the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Paulsen’s ex-wife also provided family photographs that showed his many activities with his family.

Paulsen testified for four hours in a wheelchair, calling three doctors as expert witnesses in an attempt to support his claim that he was and had been totally disabled. However, the jury did not find his testimony credible, and he was found guilty of stealing over $1.5 million from the VA and SSA.

Paulsen faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison and fines of $500,000, along with forfeiture of the $1.5 million he stole. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William E. Day II and Jay N. Richardson. Anyone aware of fraud being committed against the Department of Veterans Affairs should call 1-800-488-8244 and report it.

The guilty verdict in this case reflects the determination of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable those who seek to defraud the government and cheat the system.