Connecticut Man Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison for $220,000 Deceased Payee Fraud

From the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut: 

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CEDRIC NEWMAN, 46, of Newington, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing more than $200,000 in Social Security benefits that had been deposited into his deceased grandmother’s bank account.  NEWMAN must serve the first three months of his supervised release in home confinement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, NEWMAN’s grandmother was entitled to receive Social Security Administration (“SSA”) monthly benefit payments starting in 1980.  The payments were made by direct deposit into a bank checking account.  Although NEWMAN’s grandmother passed away in October 1996, the direct deposit payments continued until June 2014.

In March 2011, NEWMAN began accessing the funds in the account to make electronic payments on his credit card.  From the time of his grandmother’s death until June 2014, approximately $220,729 of monthly benefit payments, net of Medicare premiums, were directly deposited into her bank account.  NEWMAN used $218,079 of the funds for his own benefit.

Judge Hall ordered NEWMAN to make full restitution to the Social Security Administration.

On December 14, 2015, NEWMAN pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.

This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia Enos King.

From the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut: 

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CEDRIC NEWMAN, 46, of Newington, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to six months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for stealing more than $200,000 in Social Security benefits that had been deposited into his deceased grandmother’s bank account.  NEWMAN must serve the first three months of his supervised release in home confinement.

According to court documents and statements made in court, NEWMAN’s grandmother was entitled to receive Social Security Administration (“SSA”) monthly benefit payments starting in 1980.  The payments were made by direct deposit into a bank checking account.  Although NEWMAN’s grandmother passed away in October 1996, the direct deposit payments continued until June 2014.

In March 2011, NEWMAN began accessing the funds in the account to make electronic payments on his credit card.  From the time of his grandmother’s death until June 2014, approximately $220,729 of monthly benefit payments, net of Medicare premiums, were directly deposited into her bank account.  NEWMAN used $218,079 of the funds for his own benefit.

Judge Hall ordered NEWMAN to make full restitution to the Social Security Administration.

On December 14, 2015, NEWMAN pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds.

This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia Enos King.