Ronald S. Repass, 56, of Poolesville, Maryland, is staring down federal prison after being indicted for faking a crippling shoulder injury to steal thousands in disability pay every month. The former U.S. Postal Service carrier allegedly collected $3,227 a month in benefits while working multiple jobs — including snow plowing, plumbing, and lawn mowing — all while swearing under oath he hadn’t worked a single day.
The federal grand jury in Greenbelt returned the indictment on August 5, 2020, charging Repass with making false statements to obtain federal employees’ disability compensation. At his initial appearance, U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan ordered Repass released under supervision by U.S. Pretrial Services — a move that’s raised eyebrows given the brazen nature of the alleged fraud spanning three years.
According to the indictment, Repass first claimed disability on December 5, 2014, after allegedly falling and injuring his right shoulder while working as a rural carrier at the Poolesville Post Office. The Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) bought the story, approving his claim on February 11, 2015, for a “right rotator cuff tear” and fast-tracking monthly benefits starting February 22, 2015.
But federal rules are clear: recipients must certify annually they haven’t worked — and must report any income or medical improvement. Repass allegedly signed off on those forms in 2016, 2017, and 2018, swearing he was jobless and bedridden. In reality, prosecutors say he was hustling — working as a service advisor at an auto shop, field supervisor for a home improvement company, and even installing window blinds and plowing driveways — all for cash.
If convicted, Repass faces a maximum of five years in federal prison. While actual sentences often come in lower, federal judges rarely go easy on benefit cheats caught working full-time gigs. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines will weigh in, but the paper trail of signed false statements could seal his fate.
The case was brought by U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur, with investigative muscle from the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hollis R. Weisman is prosecuting. The indictment is not a conviction — Repass is presumed innocent — but the government’s case paints a picture of a man who thought he could gamed the system and never get caught.
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Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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