Officials: NJ man collected his dead father’s benefits for 20 years

A Somerset County man has admitted that he's been fraudulently accepting federal benefits intended for his father, who passed away 20 years ago.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, 66-year-old Steven Jones pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of conversion of federal funds.

According to documents in the case, Jones's father had been receiving several forms of retirement benefits before he died in October 2004. Upon his father's passing, Jones falsified the death certificate to ensure that federal agencies would continue to issue the benefits.

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Officials say that on two occasions, the Somerset resident had a person impersonate his father to a federal agency, to keep up the illusion that the man was still alive and still eligible for benefits.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jones unlawfully collected payments for nearly 20 years, from October 2004 to December 2023.

In total, Jones made off with more than $624,000 in federal benefits, officials say.

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Sentencing for Jones is scheduled for April 21. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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