Ricardo Santiago, 60, of Hartford, was sentenced on Mar. 9 to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining Social Security, unemployment, and food stamp benefits, according to United States Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut.
The case highlights the consequences of defrauding federal and state benefit programs over a long period. Authorities said Santiago concealed his employment and income from government agencies while collecting benefits he was not entitled to receive.
Court documents show that between 2002 and 2024, Santiago worked for more than 20 employers and earned over $580,000 using false identification, including a Social Security number belonging to another person. In 2002, he applied for Retirement Survivors Disability Insurance (RSDI) benefits by claiming he was unable to work due to disability. He continued receiving RSDI payments after falsely asserting in paperwork that he remained disabled and had not worked in recent years. Santiago ultimately collected more than $316,000 in RSDI payments without eligibility.
In February 2017, Santiago applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from the Connecticut Department of Social Services by stating he had no employment income. He later renewed these benefits with similar claims and made over $18,000 in purchases with SNAP funds he was not entitled to receive. In April 2020, Santiago used another person's Social Security number when applying for Unemployment Insurance benefits from the Connecticut Department of Labor. He received more than $36,000 in unemployment payments after certifying weekly that he was unemployed but able to work.
Santiago pleaded guilty to wire fraud on February 24, 2025. While awaiting sentencing on bond in September 2025, authorities said he staged his own and his daughter's drowning in the Connecticut River as part of an attempt to flee but was found by Hartford Police days later. Judge Vernon D. Oliver ordered him to pay $371,686 in restitution.
The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General; and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont prosecuted the case.
