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From a press release:
A 38-year-old Harlingen [TX] resident is now in custody on allegations he created false profiles to steal government money ...
Authorities arrested Lee Marvin Nichols today. ...
According to the three-count indictment, returned June 27, Nichols was a claims specialist at the Social Security Administration (SSA) in Harlingen.
Nichols allegedly created fictitious profiles for two children that did not exist. The indictment alleges Nichols linked the profiles of the fictitious children to a recently deceased man and a disabled woman living in Mexico in an attempt to create survivor benefits application.
Nichols used debit cards issued to the children to withdraw funds, according to the charges. When he would obtain the funds, he allegedly attempted to disguise himself by using hats pulled down over his face, sunglasses, balaclavas and other clothing to conceal his appearance. ...
What was the point of the disguises? His digital fingerprint was all over the cases at Social Security.
"What was the point of the disguises?"
ReplyDeleteSimple, because he was a moron. All of the SSA employees that do this sort of thing are clueless idiots and morons. Like most criminals, they think they are just too smart to get caught when they pull this crap.
Worse, when caught, they benefit from a lax legal system. The system should try them and, when convicted, sentence them to maximum sentences of incarceration for their abuse of public trust, not give them a slap on the wrist and an accompanying ridiculous "restitution order" (that they'll likely never be able to actually repay in their lifetimes, considering their future job prospects probably will likely be limited to asking "do you want fries with that?").
I say this as a current SSA employee.
It is extraordinarily easy to commit fraud as an SSA Field Office employee. It is nigh-impossible to get away with it.
ReplyDeleteOh, it’s possible. Trust me.
ReplyDeleteHow’d you do it?
DeleteI didn’t but knew someone who was very good at it with some outside computer help.
DeleteBut they got caught right?
DeleteI would assume the disguises were to try and avoid being identified by the cameras while withdrawing the funds from the ATM.
ReplyDeleteI assume the ones that don't get caught, also don't brag about it in the comment section of the only blog on the Internet actually devoted to covering their agency.
ReplyDeleteI'm assuming that as understaffed SSA-OIG is, and as incompetent the technical component of SSA has proven themselves to be in every other aspect, there are plenty of successful crooks on the payroll. But I've got no interest in trying to join them.
I worked for the agency for almost 40 years. I can’t tell you how many referrals I made to OIG that fell on deaf ears. All I heard was “they are too old”, “they are a disabled vet”, “they are in a wheelchair “. “We would never win these in front of a jury”. So I said f it. Then I came across a few employees who were doing things that were not very ethical. Same thing, not much happened. I said screw it, not wasting anymore time with this. I know one who scammed a lot of money. No longer living in the US. I no longer cared and I still don’t.
ReplyDelete