Brian Sandiford, a 59-year-old man from Jamaica Plain, has been sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a hefty sum after stealing $70,811 in Social Security benefits.
According to court documents, Sandiford’s father died in 2010, but the father’s monthly Social Security benefits continued to be directly deposited into a bank account held jointly by Sandiford and his father.
Despite not being entitled to this money, Sandiford routinely transferred the Social Security funds into his own bank account and spent it. In total, from 2010 to 2014, Sandiford took $70,811 in Social Security funds to which he was not entitled.
Sandiford pleaded guilty to stealing public money in November 2015 and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to one year of probation, including six months of home confinement, and ordered to pay a fine of $2,000 and restitution of $70,811 to the Social Security Administration.
The Social Security Administration has been working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute cases of posthumous Social Security benefit fraud. In the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted several similar cases involving a total of more than $1 million in stolen government money.
U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.
Sandiford’s actions are just one example of the growing problem of posthumous Social Security benefit fraud. The Social Security Administration urges family members and beneficiaries to report any suspicious activity to prevent future cases of fraud.
Related Federal Cases
- Joanna Boyer Convicted of $29K Social Security Fraud · Massachusetts
- Lynn Man Ladd Steals $79,958 in Dead Neighbor’s Veteran Benefits · Massachusetts
- Patricia Grifoni Guilty in $51K Social Security Fraud · Massachusetts
- Bartolo Ramirez Cops to $100K Social Security Scam · Massachusetts
- James Blocks Trump’s Social Services Cuts · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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