John W. Caltabiano, Jr., Benefits Fraud, New York 2015

Catskill Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Benefits Fraud

ALBANY, NEW YORK – A federal jury found John W. Caltabiano, Jr., 49, of Catskill, New York, guilty of fraudulently obtaining federal and state disability benefits. He was sentenced to serve 57 months in prison.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Edward J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge for the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General.

Caltabiano and co-defendant Colleen McCarten conspired to steal Social Security Disability and Workers' Compensation benefits by falsely representing that an on-the-job injury had left him almost completely blind. However, videos taken during the investigation showed that he was able to drive, shop, and move about without assistance.

At the sentencing, Judge D'Agostino said, 'And had he not been caught, I have no doubt that Mr. Caltabiano would still have someone leading him into any proceedings or any hearings as though he couldn't see a darn thing when we all know that he was seeing well enough to carry out his ordinary activities, to drive, to go to convenience stores, all of that.'

U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian stated, 'If Caltabiano had not been stopped, he would have been able to steal more than one-half a million dollars based on his life expectancy. His sentence reflects the magnitude of his fraud and sends a message that those who steal benefits face significant prison sentences.

Edward J. Ryan, Special Agent in Charge for the SSA Office of the Inspector General, stated, 'As guardians of the public trust, we vigorously pursue incidents of fraud against SSA programs. We continue to investigate allegations of fraudulent disability claims to combat fraud in federal and state government-sponsored disability programs.'

United States District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino also sentenced Caltabiano to serve 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and to pay $27,784 in restitution to the SSA.

Caltabiano's sentencing is a significant victory for the community, and it sends a strong message that benefits fraud will not be tolerated. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and the Office of the New York State Workers' Compensation Fraud Inspector General, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. White.

Mandatory Facts:

1. Defendant's full name: John W. Caltabiano, Jr.

2. Exact criminal charges: conspiracy to commit mail fraud, five counts of mail fraud, and theft of government property

3. City and state: Albany, New York

4. Exact date: October 16, 2015

5. Sentence: 57 months in prison, 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, and $27,784 in restitution

6. Dollar amounts: more than one-half a million dollars

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndny/pr/catskill-man-receives-57-months-prison-benefits-fraud