Local man sentenced for Social Security fraud

Contributed article
Published: August 21, 2008

A Greene County man Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley announced on August 12 that Irven Jones, age 65,o f Greene County,was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court for the estern District of Virginia, in Charlottesville, for wrongfully receiving approximately $97,000 in Social Security disability payments.
Jones was sentenced this week to serve two years of probation, of which 6 months will be home confinement with electronic monitoring. In addition, the defendant was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $97,225.90, $3,000 of which is due immediately. He was also ordered to pay a $9,000 fine. “It is our duty as law enforcement agents to protect critical programs such as Social Security from being defrauded,“ Acting United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley said.
“These programs serve a critical, and often times necessary, role for many of our fellow citizens and must be protected.“
Jones waived prosecution by indictment and pled guilty to a one count felony information in April 2008 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, Virginia, after he began receiving disability payments from the Social Security Administration.
According to evidence presented at a previous 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. 
Evidence was also presented 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.