A Huntington man is accused of cashing in on more than $100,000 in Social Security disability benefits while publicly lifting heavy on social media and promoting himself as a trainer. Raymond Phillips, 40, was indicted this week on grand larceny and false filing charges after prosecutors say his online weightlifting presence undercut the disability story he told the government. Authorities say he was openly advertising a personal training business at the same time he was reporting that he could not use his dominant arm.
Prosecutors outline the allegations
According to a press release from the New York Attorney General's Office, Phillips applied for state disability in August 2018 after reporting a June 2018 weightlifting injury to his dominant arm and surgery that he said left him unable to work. The Social Security Administration approved his benefits in May 2021, retroactive to 2018, and prosecutors say Phillips went on to collect about $100,000 from May 2021 through December 2024.
“Raymond Phillips shamelessly collected benefits meant for disabled New Yorkers while boasting his weightlifting achievements on social media,” Attorney General Letitia James said in the statement.
Social posts undercut the claim
The Attorney General's Office says it obtained photos and videos that allegedly show Phillips bench pressing and squatting at The American Pro competition in 2023, as well as clips of him training and lifting that he posted online. Investigators say those images did not exactly line up with the limitations he was reporting on government forms.
According to Patch, investigators allege the footage contradicted Phillips’ repeated written statements that he could not lift his left arm or squat without assistance through October 2025. Prosecutors say the social media trail became central to building the fraud case.
Charges and next steps
Phillips is charged with one count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree and two counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, according to the Attorney General's Office. He was arraigned in Suffolk County Supreme Court and faces up to 15 years in prison on the top charge if convicted.
These are allegations, and Phillips is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Broader context
State prosecutors describe the case as part of a broader push to use social media in disability and benefits fraud investigations. The Attorney General's Office has brought similar disability fraud cases in recent years, highlighting how public posts can collide with private claims.
Nationally, photos and videos have increasingly become tools for investigators in disability cases when online activity appears to contradict medical statements, according to a Washington Post investigation.
What to expect
Court records do not yet list a trial date, and a lawyer for Phillips did not respond to requests for comment, Patch reported. The Attorney General's statement says investigators worked with the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General and Suffolk County investigators on the case.
If Phillips is convicted, he could be ordered to pay restitution in addition to any criminal penalties.
.jpg){kind=link}