James Sessoms, a 60-year-old resident of Philadelphia, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for defrauding government benefit programs out of more than $1 million. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney. In addition to the prison term, Sessoms will serve three years of supervised release and must pay $398,708.58 in restitution.
Sessoms pleaded guilty earlier this year to multiple charges including one count of SNAP fraud, seven counts of making false statements related to health care benefits, and seven counts of Social Security fraud. He was originally charged by indictment in October 2024.
According to court documents and Sessoms’ own admissions, between November 2019 and November 2023 he submitted fraudulent applications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid benefits using stolen or fictitious identities and Social Security numbers. These applications were submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS), with funding support from both the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The scheme involved creating or obtaining names, SSNs, and other personal information for fictitious individuals as well as real people whose identities were misused. Sessoms used these details on benefit applications and provided fraudulent driver’s licenses featuring his photograph but under different names. On some applications, he added fake family members—such as spouses and children—to increase the amount awarded through SNAP benefits and Medicaid coverage; this included submitting false birth certificates for these purported children.
As a result, PA DHS provided Medicaid coverage not only to Sessoms under various aliases but also to his supposed family members listed on the fraudulent applications. Similarly, SNAP benefits were issued under these aliases during the same period.
Sessoms profited further by selling illegally obtained SNAP cards at a local supermarket.
“Stealing money from government programs is an awful crime,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf. “We will continue to prosecute fraud against the government and hold crooks like Sessoms accountable, on behalf of all the taxpayers funding these programs.”
“We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners for their hard work on this investigation. Those who are involved in fraud regarding USDA taxpayer-funded programs will be investigated by our office to protect the integrity of those programs,” said USDA Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker.
“Mr. Sessoms orchestrated an audacious scheme—creating fake Social Security numbers while exploiting real ones—to siphon off more than $1 million from programs meant to safeguard the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General, Social Security Administration. “Let this case serve as a warning; those who exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution.”
The investigation was conducted by several agencies: USDA Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, HHS Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran prosecuted the case.
