A federal grand jury indicted Najee Alexander Corbett, a former Social Security Administration (SSA) employee from Baltimore, on April 17 for his alleged role in a scheme to steal social security disability funds.
The case is significant because it involves the misuse of sensitive personal information and public benefit payments intended for vulnerable individuals. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said Corbett faces charges including wire fraud, mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, theft of government property, and false statements.
According to the indictment, Corbett used his position as an SSA customer service representative between February and April 2023 to access databases containing claimants’ personal information. He allegedly targeted Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claimants with mental health disorders by altering their records to redirect benefit payments into bank accounts he controlled or mailed them to his residence. The indictment states that Corbett changed payment eligibility dates in order to generate back payments under claimants’ names and ultimately received $116,537.62 in SSI disability payments, retaining $71,304.62.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the charges along with Michael McGill from the SSA Office of Inspector General’s Philadelphia Field Division. Hayes commended the investigative work by SSA-OIG and thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon for prosecuting the case.
If convicted on all counts, Corbett could face up to 20 years each for wire fraud and mail fraud charges; up to 10 years for theft of government property; up to five years for false statements; and a mandatory two-year sentence consecutive to other penalties for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences are typically less than these maximums due to federal sentencing guidelines.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves nearly six million residents across Maryland according to its official website. It employs over 200 personnel across civil, criminal and administrative divisions according to its official website and prosecutes federal crimes while handling civil cases involving government interests according to its official website. The office traces its origins back more than two centuries according to its official website.
Hayes said that those charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.
