Tag: Social Security Administration
Joseph Benavente Wusstig, Social Security Benefits Fraud, Guam 2018
⏱ 2 min read Joseph Benavente Wusstig, a 59-year-old man from Yigo, Guam, stole $58,248 in Social Security benefits intended for his deceased wife. From September 2018 to December 31, 2023, Wusstig continued to receive and spend the benefits, despite his wife’s passing in August 2018. He used the funds for personal expenses, including ATM…
Felipe Almonte Polanco, SNAP Fraud, Rhode Island 2021
⏱ 2 min read Felipe Almonte Polanco, a 57-year-old Providence, Rhode Island, man, allegedly used stolen identities to fraudulently obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Between October 2021 and April 2026, Polanco submitted fake applications in the names of multiple victims, including a deceased individual, and used the benefits cards to make transactions at…
Michael Lee Brooks, Theft of Federal Taxpayer Funds, Michigan 2026
⏱ 2 min read Michael Lee Brooks, a 47-year-old man from Hastings, Michigan, has been charged with stealing over $100,000 in federal taxpayer funds. The alleged theft occurred between 2019 and 2025, when Brooks failed to notify the Social Security Administration of his father’s death and continued to collect his father’s Social Security benefits. Brooks…
Brandon Lee Richards, Identity Theft, Oklahoma 2024
⏱ 2 min read Brandon Lee Richards, a 36-year-old Oklahoma City man, used a stolen identity to fraudulently purchase a vehicle from a local dealership on September 19, 2024. Richards, who has a history of financial fraud convictions, claimed to be another person on a credit application and used the victim’s Social Security number to…
Miguel Dario Bautista Jimenez, Passport Fraud, New Jersey 2026
⏱ 2 min read A brazen identity thief swindled his way to US citizenship and a passport, but his scheme came crashing down this week. Miguel Dario Bautista Jimenez, 41, of New Jersey, was charged with illegally obtaining US citizenship and a passport through a web of lies and deceit. Jimenez, a citizen of the…
Timothy Wells Stevens, Threats with a Firearm, California 2025
⏱ 3 min read A menacing man from Wayne County, Missouri, took aim at Social Security Administration employees in late 2025, leaving a trail of terror in his wake. Timothy Wells Stevens, 57, went on a verbal rampage, threatening to ‘blow up every (expletive) office around here’ if he didn’t receive payments. On October 1,…
Jane Batista, COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud, New Jersey 2024
⏱ 2 min read A 44-year-old Florida woman orchestrated a brazen COVID-19 relief program scam, swindling $465,489 from lenders. Jane Batista submitted fake Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications for herself, her husband, and two businesses, claiming fictional employees and revenue. From April 2020 to August 2021, Batista lied about everything from employee income to…
Jennifer Valley, Social Security Benefits Theft, Massachusetts 2022
⏱ 2 min read A brazen case of Social Security theft has landed a 51-year-old Barre woman in hot water. Jennifer Valley allegedly swiped over $100,000 in retirement benefits between October 2022 and August 2025. According to the charges, Valley stole approximately $100,218 in benefits, leaving a trail of deceit in her wake. If convicted,…
Najee Alexander Corbett, Disability Funds Theft, Maryland 2023
⏱ 2 min read A Baltimore man abused his position at the Social Security Administration to swindle over $116,000 from disability claimants, authorities say. Najee Alexander Corbett, 37, allegedly altered records in the SSA database to redirect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits to bank accounts he controlled, starting in February 2023. Corbett targeted claimants with…
Gladys Louise Stephenson, PPP Loan Fraud, Illinois 2022
⏱ 2 min read A Chicago woman’s brazen scam to swindle nearly $20,416 from the Paycheck Protection Program landed her a federal prison sentence. Gladys Louise Stephenson, 48, made false statements to the Small Business Administration to secure a PPP loan, claiming her sole proprietorship raked in nearly $100,000 in gross income. She spent the…
