Swansea Man Pleads To Stealing Funds From Railroad Retirement Board

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that Mark A. Lewis, 30, of Swansea, pled guilty in the federal district court in East St. Louis to the charge that he stole unemployment benefits from the United States Railroad Retirement Board.

Court proceedings revealed that from January 2013 through May 2013, Lewis fraudulently obtained monies belonging to the Railroad Retirement Board, an agency of the United States, by concealing his employment status in order to receive unemployment benefits.

Lewis is scheduled for sentencing on March 20, 2014, when he faces maximum penalties of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by agents of the Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Coonan.

If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is committing fraud against any U.S. Railroad Retirement Board program, you may report this to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board’s Office of Inspector General by calling 800.772.4258 or by e-mailing a complaint or information to: hotline@oig.rrb.gov.