On Friday, it was announced that a former Army investigator had been sentenced to prison for fraudulent receipt of disability benefits and making false statements to the Social Security Administration. 55-year-old Gennaro Mattiaccio of Stafford was sentenced to 21 months in prison.
The defendant was previously a federal law enforcement officer with the United States Army’s Criminal Investigation Command. Mattiaccio was convicted by a federal jury on February 24, 2017. He was found guilty on three felony charges related to his fraud and false statements.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that the defendant received more than $75,000 in Social Security disability benefits from April 2014 to September 2016. During this time, the defendant was actually self-employed. He ran his own business Rock Hill Honey Bee Farms. Due to his employment, Mattiaccio should have been ineligible for SSA disability benefits.
To carry out the scheme, the defendant testified falsely under oath and submitted false and fraudulent documents to the Social Security Administration. When he discovered he was being investigated, the defendant tried to obstruct justice by back-dating the signature card for his business bank account.
Mattiaccio carried out a similar scheme with the Department of Veterans Affairs. From 2008 to 2016, he collected roughly $120,000 from the VA despite not being entitled to the money. Again, Gennaro Mattiaccio was sentenced to 21 months in prison.