From Syracuse.com, whatever that is:
A 34-year-old Syracuse man and former federal employee admitted Thursday to stealing more than $100,000 in Supplemental Security Income benefits, according to federal prosecutors.
Sean Okrzesik pleaded guilty to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
While Okrzesik was employed by the Syracuse office of the Social Security Administration, he opened bank accounts using the names and social security numbers of people who receive SSI benefits, according to federal prosecutors. ...
Okrzesik used the money to pay for video gaming equipment, a custom suit, jewelry, airline tickets to the Caribbean and online gambling, according to prosecutors.
In all, Okrzesik took $103,798.77 in benefits, prosecutors said.
He faces up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of up to 3 years of supervised release for the two counts of theft of government property, according to federal prosecutors. ...
13 comments:
To steal money from the most needy -- SSI recipients get very little -- I think he should get life in prison.
Noooo, say it isn't so! *sarcasm *. Another theft/fraud from within? Throw the book at 'im. I agree with 9:14. Life. That's despicable, to say the very least.
Don't understand how he could open bank accounts without a driver license or state ID.
As a SSA employee, I’m not sure life in prison is the answer. However, restitution, jail time and the loss of your ability to draw disability or retirement from SSA even though you continue to pay in should suffice.
It takes a lot of ego to even try. They tell you when you are hired that you will get caught. They always do get caught. I guess they think it is so difficult and so complicated and they are so smart that they will get away with it.
Disgusting !!! Another black mark for those of us who work hard and HONESTLY. The wage scale is respectable but after deductions for medical , a bit for TSP (401K) , and taxes I see 50% of my gross.
I don't know if they always get caught. If they don't get caught, ,how would you know?
But I do think that the frequency of these episodes suggests that internal controls are lacking within Social Security to allow this to ever happen.
Just another example of failed management within the agency.
Perhaps. This happens fairly infrequently. Glad they are caught. Don't understand why they'd do it. The money amounts aren't that great to risk a career in addition to the immorality of stealing.
Well then I nominate you head if security for SSA. That’s awesome that you have figured out how to catch people doing this despicable act in real time so we don’t have to worry about it any longer. Please help the rest of us understand how this plan will work. The keystrokes of every employee is already logged daily. What’s the next step to catch them in real time?
Not so much a failure of management as a failure of character of the employee.
To 1:25
There are many organizations where people have authority to authorize payments or control the flow of cash. Some of them are called banks but there are many others. On occasion there are episodes of embezzlement from nearly any kind of organization. When you look into it to see how it is done, you almost invariably find lax controls and lack of oversight and proper management controls on all disbursements.
It is not an issue of sitting and watching keystrokes.
Again, the bad actor is the thief but the poor management systems within the SSA that make this kind of theft even possible is the responsibility of management.
It has nothing at all to do with management. If you’re saying that, you have no clue how SSA is structured. Management would have virtually no way of knowing unless you’re just a complete idiot and advertise what you’re doing. Granted, the agency has its fair share of idiots, no argument there…my office probably has more than average. I’ve personally seen three people in my office get busted for this over the span of 14 years.
There has to be some freedom to change and create records or no one would ever get paid. Occasionally a thief will take advantage and be caught. It takes a bit of guile to pull it off for very long before being caught.
Watching keystrokes is how they are caught. Computers do it.
There are some inputs that require two employees to sign off. Real pains in the rear. Frequently the second person doesn't check too closely.
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