New Hampshire man pleads guilty to lying to get $100K in Social Security disability benefits
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An Exeter man pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday in connection with obtaining disability benefits for which he was not entitled, U.S. Attorney Jane Young said Thursday.
James Siano, 59, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements, Young said. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for July 19.
According to Young, Siano first applied for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration in December 2019, when he claimed he was disabled, unable to work, and had stopped working. He repeated those claims to the administration multiple times through April 2021.
Siano also agreed to inform the Social Security Administration if he returned to work. However, Siano worked as a hotel engineer regularly between 2019 and 2023, which made him ineligible for disability benefits. Overall, the defendant obtained over $105,000 in disability payments for which he was not entitled, Young said.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.
The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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