Greene County Man Pleads Guilty To Social Security Fraud

ALBANY, NEW YORK – RICHARD J. GODDEAU, age 46, of Athens, New York, pled guilty today in Albany to one count of Social Security fraud and one count of theft of government property before Chief United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe, announced United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian, Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, New York Field Division, the United States Secret Service, and Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.

As part of his guilty plea, GODDEAU admitted that he made false statements to Social Security Administration personnel to obtain Social Security Supplemental Security Income benefits payments to which he was not entitled. For example, he concealed that he was operating a business and living with his wife, and falsely claimed that he was paying rent and living at a different address.

GODDEAU faces up to 5 years of prison on the Social Security fraud count, 10 years of prison on the theft of government property count, and fines of up to $250,000 on both counts. GODDEAU’s plea agreement also requires that he pay $54,285 in restitution to the Commissioner of Social Security. GODDEAU will be sentenced in Albany, New York, on December 2, 2014.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the United States Secret Service and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman.