'Disabled' Georgia man worked 20 years while collecting SSA benefits
Stock image of social security cards. via Getty Images
ATLANTA - A northeast Georgia man has been sentenced to federal prison for fraudulently collecting disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for nearly two decades while secretly working at a local funeral home.
What we know:
Timmy S. Stephens was sentenced to nine months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $5,500 fine and $126,560.50 in restitution. Stephens pleaded guilty to the charges on Oct. 17, 2024.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., Stephens began receiving disability benefits in August 2002 for a reported cardiac condition. However, by January 2003, he had returned to work at a funeral home and failed to report his employment to SSA, as required.
To conceal his income, Stephens arranged to have his wages reported under a relative’s Social Security number. When the SSA later discovered the discrepancy, Stephens submitted a false work activity report, claiming he had not worked since 2001. He also lied during interviews with federal agents and produced falsified timesheets, which he instructed his employer to give to law enforcement.
In total, Stephens fraudulently received more than $360,000 in disability benefits.
What they're saying:
"Stephens perpetrated a two-decades long fraud on the Social Security Administration," said Moultrie. "Stealing benefits from the Social Security trust fund betrays the Social Security Administration and the people the program is designed to help."
The case was investigated by the SSA Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C. Schulman.