Tulare Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security Benefits

FRESNO, Calif. — Larry Ramirez, 52, of Tulare, pleaded guilty today to stealing benefits paid by the United States Social Security Administration (SSA), United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to court documents, Ramirez failed to disclose income he had made from owning and operating an auto body repair business in numerous applications to the SSA for benefits. During the process of determining his benefits, he made a false statement to the SSA that he had not worked in over 15 years, which he knew to be false at the time. As a result, and over the course of approximately 15 years, Ramirez stole approximately $90,000 in SSA benefits.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick R. Delahunty and Henry Z. Carbajal III are prosecuting the case.

Ramirez is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on March 28, 2016. Ramirez faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.