DC Crook Simon Sentenced for STAY DC Scam & Gun Possession

WASHINGTON D.C. – Geary Simon, 71, a repeat offender from the District of Columbia, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 15 months for a brazen scheme to defraud the taxpayer-funded STAY DC rental assistance program. Simon, who also goes by “Robert Sutton,” wasn’t just stealing from a pandemic-era lifeline; he was also illegally packing heat, adding a firearms charge to his mounting legal woes. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced the sentencing today, a small victory in a city drowning in corruption and desperation.

The scam centered around the Stronger Together by Assisting You D.C. (STAY DC) program, a $352 million initiative launched in April 2021 to provide Covid-19 relief to struggling renters. Simon, on June 22, 2021, submitted a fraudulent application claiming to be a tenant at 2433 H Street, NW, with a fabricated landlord named “Robert Sutton” and a whopping $72,000 in back rent. Every detail was a lie. Simon wasn’t a tenant, “Sutton” didn’t exist as a landlord, and the provided contact information led directly back to Simon himself. It was a meticulously crafted deception designed to exploit a system meant to help those genuinely in need.

The DC Department of Human Services, unaware of the con, approved the application and issued a check for $38,560. Simon promptly deposited the funds into an account under the name “The Geary Stephen Simon 2016 Irrevocable Trust,” shielding the stolen money from immediate detection. Instead of using the funds for legitimate housing costs, Simon funneled the taxpayer dollars into paying private school tuition and satisfying existing court-ordered child support obligations – a clear indication of prioritizing personal gain over the intended beneficiaries of the program.

But the fraud wasn’t Simon’s only transgression. On March 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, uncovering two firearms. Considering Simon’s two prior felony convictions, including a conviction for carrying a pistol without a license, he was legally prohibited from possessing any firearms. This added a significant layer to the case, painting a picture of a hardened criminal with a blatant disregard for the law.

U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich didn’t just hand down the 15-month prison sentence; she also ordered Simon to serve three years of supervised release upon his release and to pay $38,560 in restitution to the D.C. government. While restitution offers some measure of recompense, it barely scratches the surface of the damage caused by this calculated theft. The FBI Washington Field Office spearheaded the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert prosecuting the case. Case number: 24cr284.

This sentencing serves as a stark reminder that those who prey on vulnerable programs and flout gun laws will be held accountable. However, in a city rife with similar schemes, it’s a single drop in a bucket of systemic corruption. Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and expose the rot that plagues the nation’s capital.”