U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that CLINT A. SCHWAB, age 42, of Thibodaux, pled guilty yesterday to theft of Social Security benefits.
According to court documents, SCHWAB began receiving Social Security disability benefits in 1998. In or around 2008, SCHWAB returned to work, but did not inform the Social Security Administration (SSA) as required by law. In January 2016, SCHWAB was interviewed by the SSA and falsely informed the agency that he had never worked as a disabled claimant. However, SCHWAB failed to inform the SSA that he was working while also receiving monthly disability payments. SCHWAB collected Social Security disability payments to which he was not entitled from 2008 until early 2016.
The maximum penalty for theft of government funds is ten years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim. U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon set sentencing for May 25, 2017.
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney, Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.