LAFAYETTE, La. -United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that William Joseph Folse, Jr., 51, of Scott, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote, to 12 months in prison and three years of supervised release for making false statements to the Social Security Administration (SSA) concerning his disability status in order to fraudulently receive nearly $200,000 in benefits. He was also ordered to pay $199,007.80 in restitution to the SSA.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on Jan. 22, 2014, Folse applied for and was granted benefits for total disability in the 1990s for a slip and fall accident. He also signed paperwork acknowledging that he would report his change in job status should he return to work. Investigators later determined that Folse worked at a restaurant in Lafayette since 1998 and earned more than $12,000 per year plus tips. It is estimated that he improperly received $199,007.80 from the SSA.
The SSA conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
