A Villa Rica man has been handed a prison sentence after pleading guilty to defrauding the Social Security Administration (SSA) out of more than $360,000. Timmy S. Stephens received disability benefits for almost 20 years, claiming he was unable to work due to a cardiac condition, while simultaneously working at a local funeral home.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. stated, "Stephens perpetrated a two-decades long fraud on the Social Security Administration," as he described the case against Stephens. He emphasized that the "disability program is a wage replacement program for those members of our society who cannot work due to a physical, or mental health condition." Moultrie criticized Stephens for betraying the SSA and those genuinely in need of support, as detailed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia reported that Stephens began receiving the disability payments in August 2002 but returned to work the following January without reporting his employment as mandated by SSA guidelines. To hide his income, Stephens had the funeral home channel his earnings through a relative's social security number.
Caught by the SSA, Stephens continued to deceive by submitting falsified documents and lying to federal agents. He even tried to cover his tracks by directing the funeral home owner to present doctored time sheets to law enforcement. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Stephens’s deceit was calculated, stretching over a period when he was, in fact, fully capable of working.
On October 17, 2024, Stephens was convicted for his illegal activities, leading to his sentencing of nine months incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. He has also been ordered to pay $126,560.50 in restitution and a $5,500 fine. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Diane C Schulman. For more information, the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office is available through their official contact channels.
