The scheme was exposed, and now Gerry Alen Albus, 64, of Elmo, Montana, is facing a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release after admitting to theft of government money and Social Security fraud.
Albus pleaded guilty to the charges on April 17, as indicted, in U.S. District Court in Missoula. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy will determine his sentence, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for September 24.
According to court documents, Albus was approved to receive Supplemental Security Income benefits from the Social Security Administration in May 2015. However, he was allegedly advised of his legal obligation to accurately report his income, resources, and household composition.
In October 2016, Albus reported to the SSA that he had moved to Elmo and lived alone, paying rent to his landlord. However, investigators discovered that he did not pay rent and his landlord was his romantic partner. In 2017, Albus and his partner converted the landlord’s 20-acre property into a dog grooming business.
The government alleged that Albus failed to disclose his ownership interest in property he co-owned in Florida with his mother or proceeds from the sale of the property in June 2017. His mother passed away in March 2017, but the SSA continued to send her monthly payments of approximately $2,000 until it learned of her death through this investigation.
From March 2017 until November 2021, Albus took his mother’s SSA payments, using them for his personal expenses. In addition, the government alleged that Albus failed to report other assets, including three vehicles, several bank accounts, and proceeds from the dog grooming business.
In a May 2022 interview with SSA special agents at the dog grooming business, Albus admitted that he did not pay rent, lived with his partner, did not disclose vehicles or income, and took his mother’s SSA benefits after her death because he felt he was “entitled” to them.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the case. The SSA Office of Inspector General and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
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Key Facts
- State: Montana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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