Houston doctor pays $240,000 for wrongful receipt of retirement benefit payments

HOUSTON – A 68-year-old Houston doctor has agreed to pay $240,000 to resolve allegations he wrongfully received government retirement benefit payments from the from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), announced the Jennifer B. Lowery.

Dr. Henry Zaleski inappropriately spent funds intended for his mother.

From Jan. 26, 2007, to June 1, 2019, Zaleski received his deceased mother’s CSRS survivor annuity payments through a joint bank account he shared with her while she was alive. CSRS survivor annuity payments are made to the spouse of a former government employee and terminate upon the survivor annuitant’s death.

OPM was not informed of Zaleski’s mother’s death and continued to make deposits into the joint bank account. Zaleski spent the funds on personal expenses including maintenance and upkeep costs on his second home located in Florida.

These payments were made by mistake and caused Zaleski to be unjustly enriched.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and OPM - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura E. Collins handled the matter.

The claims resolved by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.