Laurens County man will pay restitution, face possible federal prison time for disability fraud

AUGUSTA, GA:  A Laurens County man admitted working a number of years as a truck driver whereas claiming federal incapacity advantages.

Douglas Adam West, 41, of Dexter, Ga., faces a statutory sentence of as much as 10 years in jail after pleading responsible to Theft of Authorities Property, stated David H. Estes, U.S. Legal professional for the Southern District of Georgia. The responsible requires West to pay $49,863 in restitution, and to serve a interval of supervised launch following any jail time period. There isn’t a parole within the federal system.

“Incapacity fraud is a plague on the system designed to offer a security web for these actually unable to carry down employment,” stated U.S. Legal professional Estes. “Those that abuse that system for their very own egocentric functions solely make it tougher for deserving recipients.”

As described in courtroom paperwork and testimony, West started receiving Social Safety Incapacity Insurance coverage Advantages in September 2004. The Social Safety Administration’s Fraud Unit initiated an investigation in August 2018, figuring out that West had been employed since a minimum of 2015 as a truck driver whereas persevering with to obtain incapacity advantages.

West faces sentencing earlier than U.S. District Courtroom Decide Dudley H. Bowen after completion of a pre-sentencing investigation by U.S. Probation Companies.

The case was investigated by the Social Safety Administration Workplace of Inspector Common and the Workplace of the Georgia Commissioner of Insurance coverage and Fireplace Security, and prosecuted for america by Assistant U.S. Legal professional Jennifer A. Stanley.