Ware Man Pleads Guilty To Social Security Fraud

BOSTON – A Ware man pleaded guilty today to defrauding the Social Security Administration of more than $50,000.

Carl Lynch, 43, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole, Jr. to theft of public money. In March 2014, he was charged in a felony Information. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2014.

In 2003, Lynch began receiving Social Security disability benefits. In 2007, however, while still collecting disability benefits, Lynch began working under another man’s identity as a personal care provider for an elderly person in Rehoboth. Lynch’s income from this job, which averaged about $80,000 per year, would have made him ineligible to receive disability benefits. Lynch did not report this work to the Social Security Administration (SSA), and, in fact, in February 2013, he falsely told SSA that he had not worked since 1998. In December 2013, Lynch admitted to investigators that he worked under a false identity to conceal his income from SSA. Through this scheme, Lynch received $50,264 in benefits that he would not have received if Social Security had been aware of his actual work and income.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division; and Lieutenant James J. Trombetta, Acting Chief of Police of the Rehoboth Police Department, made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.