From the U.S. Attorney:
Suburban Chicago Man Indicted for Allegedly Fraudulently Obtaining Social Security Benefits
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been charged in federal court with fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits in the name of his deceased father.
A grand jury sitting in Chicago has indicted RICHARD YOUNG, JR., 61, of Maywood, Ill., on
- four counts of bank fraud and
- one count of embezzlement of government funds.
Young pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim in Chicago. A status hearing before U.S. District Judge John F. Kness has been scheduled for July 23, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
According to the indictment, Young’s father died in 2006.
Seven years later, Young filed an application with the Social Security Administration for benefits in the name of his deceased father.
Unaware that the purported applicant was deceased, the Social Security Administration granted the application and began issuing benefits, eventually paying them via direct deposit into a bank account in the deceased father’s name, the indictment states.
From 2015 to 2021, Young accessed approximately $178,683 from the account and used the money to make purchases at
- casinos,
- restaurants,
- gas stations,
- retail stores, and
- elsewhere,
the indictment states.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit at the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Niranjan Emani.
“The indictment accuses Mr. Young of fraudulently obtaining benefits for years from a critically important retirement program,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.
“Social Security fraud threatens the very foundation of a program that many millions of hard-working Americans depend upon in retirement—and which taxpayers fund through their hard-earned income. My Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute anyone who seeks to fraudulently obtain Social Security or other program benefits.”
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in federal prison, while the embezzlement count is punishable by up to ten years.
