By Christopher Michael, WLS-AM 890 News
(CHICAGO) — A former employee of the Social Security Administration in Chicago has been given a 5 year prison sentence for fraud. He was sentenced for putting together a fraud in which he authorized more than 1.9 million dollars in benefits. 41 year old Jason Cruz pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud.
As a benefits authorizer between 2009 and 20-13 he authorized fraudulent payments to more than 150 people. Along with his co-schemers, they recruited recipients of Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance Benefits to receive additional payments on top of what they were legitimately owed. Cruz, in his position, authorized the payments. That created the illegal payments of just under 2 million dollars.
Cruz used the proceeds to buy a home in the South Chicago neighborhood, shopped at Gucci Bloomingdale’s and Saks 5th avenue along with traveling to the NBA All-Star game.
Four other defendants have also been convicted.
@ WLS-AM 890 News
