Antrim Man Pleads Guilty to Faking Disability to Get $662,871.77 in Veterans Benefits
CONCORD, New Hampshire – In a shocking case of disability fraud, 49-year-old Antrim resident Christopher Stultz pleaded guilty to making false statements to obtain $662,871.77 in veteran’s benefits he was not entitled to, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced.
According to court records, Stultz falsely represented to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that he was no longer able to use his feet, causing the VA to rate him as 100% disabled and increase his monthly VA benefits. In addition, he was awarded funding through the VA’s Automobile Adaptive Equipment program to purchase special cars and vehicle adaptations designed to help mobility-impaired veterans.
However, investigators found that Stultz did not need a wheelchair or other ambulatory device to move around. On multiple occasions, he was surveilled and recorded walking normally. For example, on October 28, 2021, Stultz visited the VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain in Boston and used a wheelchair while inside the facility, but afterwards he stood up, lifted the wheelchair into his car, and drove off to a shopping mall where he walked normally through multiple stores.
Similarly, on October 3, 2022, Stultz visited the VA Medical Center in Manchester and used a wheelchair while inside the facility. After leaving the VA facility, he drove to the Mall of New Hampshire and was recorded walking normally through multiple stores. Multiple witnesses reported that they had never known Stultz to use a wheelchair or other ambulatory devices as far back as the early 2000s.
Stultz received $662,871.77 in VA benefits from January 2003 through December 2022 that he was not entitled to. He is facing a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison and 3 years of supervised release.
The investigation was led by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuting the case.
Christopher Stultz, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 6, 2024.
Key Facts
- State: New Hampshire
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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