73-Year-Old Man Guilty of Social Security Fraud, Identity Theft

August 28, 2009

A man was recently sentenced to one year in prison for posing as a dead man to receive social security benefits. James Barber, 73, claimed that he was Roy Gentry (a man who had died in 2000) in order to apply for disability benefits. At the Social Security Administration Office, he said that he had terminal cancer. He presented Gentry’s birth certificate, Social Security card and a commercial Alabama driver’s license in his name.

During the interview for benefits, it was discovered that Gentry had already applied for disability benefits and that he had collected them until his death. He was arrested and at this time, it was found that he had previous arrests for using Gentry’s identity. He confessed that he had used Gentry’s name for work purposes and other attempts to collect social security benefits in the past.

Barber has been charged with identity theft and with attempted social security fraud.