A New Bedford man may go to prison after admitting to a ten-year scheme that earned him tens of thousands of dollars he didn't deserve. Anthony Patterson, 62, offered a guilty plea yesterday in a Boston federal court, accepting responsibility for what amounts to a hefty sum of ill-gotten gains derived from Social Security disability benefits fraud, according to an announcement by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Bradley Parker of the SSA, Office of Inspector General. Patterson, who now awaits sentencing on September 10, 2024, could see up to a decade in prison for his actions.
Caught in a web of deception spun over 10 years, Patterson manipulated the system to illegally collect Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits – funds earmarked for individuals with restricted financial means. His tactics included making allegedly sworn false statements to the Social Security Administration during interviews in 2012 and 2022, specifically concerning his marital status and living arrangements to purposefully conceal additional household income and resources. These false claims led Patterson to improperly receive $92,582 in SSI benefits, a sum he was never eligible for in the first place, as reported by the Justice Department.
The charge that looms over Patterson, theft of government money, carries with it not just the potential of a prison term but also three years of supervised release and fines that could skyrocket to $250,000 or double the gross gain or loss, whichever hits harder. The calculation of his exact sentence is on the shoulders of the U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs, constrained by the guidelines and statutes that shape judicial decisions in criminal cases.
Patterson's indiscretions were brought to light thanks to the careful investigations by the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General, under the watchful eye of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is the one to credit for prosecuting this case, aiming to make certain Patterson will adequately be held accountable for the financial drain he illegally imposed on government coffers. With a guilty plea now secured, the court is set to deliver a final ruling on Patterson's fate this coming September.
