ATLANTA, GA – Timmy S. Stephens was sentenced to nine months in prison for stealing over $360,000 in Social Security disability benefits, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced Tuesday.
Stephens, who began receiving benefits in August 2002 due to a cardiac condition, was required to report any improvement in his health or return to work. However, according to officials, Stephens began working at a local funeral home in January 2003 and failed to report his employment, which is a violation of the conditions of his benefits.
To conceal his earnings, Stephens arranged for his paychecks to be reported under a relative’s Social Security number, in an attempt to avoid detection. When the Social Security Administration (SSA) discovered the scheme, Stephens submitted a false report, claiming that he had not worked since 2001. Federal agents later interviewed him, where he lied about his employment and provided falsified time sheets to the funeral homeowner, asking her to mislead investigators.
The U.S. Attorney’s office confirmed that Stephens illegally collected more than $360,000 in SSA disability benefits over the course of two decades.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. condemned the theft, saying, “Stealing benefits from the Social Security trust fund betrays the Social Security Administration and the people the program is designed to help.”
In addition to his prison sentence, Stephens was ordered to pay a fine of $5,500 and restitution of $126,560.50 to the SSA.
