Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut
A Hartford man has admitted to fraudulently collecting Social Security, unemployment, and food stamp benefits. Ricardo Santiago, 59, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to a fraud offense linked to a scheme to illegally obtain these benefits.
Court documents reveal that between 2002 and 2024, Santiago worked for more than 20 employers and earned over $580,000. He concealed his income from federal and state agencies by using false identification and Social Security numbers belonging to others.
In 2002, Santiago applied for Retirement Survivors Disability Insurance (RSDI) benefits, claiming disability prevented him from working. Consequently, he started receiving RSDI payments in September 2002. In 2017, he falsely claimed continued disability and unemployment to maintain his benefits. He collected over $316,000 in RSDI payments unlawfully.
Santiago also applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in February 2017 under the pretense of having no employment income. From March 2017 onward, he renewed his SNAP benefits with similar false claims about his financial status, spending over $18,000 on SNAP purchases fraudulently.
In April 2020, Santiago sought Unemployment Insurance benefits from the Connecticut Department of Labor using another person's Social Security number while claiming unemployment status despite being able to work. From April 2020 through February 2021, he received over $36,000 in undeserved payments.
Santiago has agreed to pay restitution amounting to $371,686 after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. This offense could result in up to 20 years of imprisonment. He is currently out on a $25,000 bond awaiting sentencing on May 22.
His arrest occurred on May 7, 2024.
The investigation involves multiple agencies: the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General; and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont is prosecuting the case.
