Local man pleads guilty to Social Security fraud

contributed article
Published: May 1, 2008

United States Attorney John L. Brownlee has announced that Irven Jones, age 65, of Greene County pled guilty in United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Charlottesville, to wrongfully receiving approximately $97,000 in Social Security disability payments.
Programs like Social Security disability benefits, at times, are the only source of income for some of our most vulnerable citizens,” Brownlee said. “As a law enforcement community, we have to ensure that these critical programs are not taken advantage of and used to line the pockets of those who intentionally commit fraud.”
Jones waived prosecution by indictment and pled guilty to one count felony information charging him with theft of money or property belonging to the United States with an aggregate value in excess of $1,000.
The charges leveled against Jones arose out of an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General into work that the defendant continued to perform at a home for the elderly in Bealeton, after he began receiving disability payments from the Social Security Administration.
According to evidence presented at Monday’s plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Nancy S. Healey, Jones tried to conceal the work that he was performing at the facility by telling other employees to refer any questions about whether he worked at the facility or not to his wife, who was also employed by the facility at the time.
Healey also presented evidence which revealed that the salary of Jones’ wife doubled after Jones was taken off the payroll and began receiving disability payments. According to AUSA Healey, Jones essentially worked as the general manager of the home when he was purportedly no longer working there, and while he was receiving disability benefits.
The maximum penalty faced by the defendant is 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled by the court.
The investigation of the case was conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Nancy S. Healey is handling the prosecution of the case