Veteran caught working out in Instagram videos stole $106,245 in disability, feds say
In his applications for disability benefits, a veteran living in Missouri reported he struggled to move, according to federal authorities. But videos posted on Instagram tell a different story.
The Berkeley man is accused of fraudulently claiming various medical conditions to steal $106,245 in Veterans Administration disability benefits, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Meanwhile, authorities said they found social media videos of him working out and lifting heavy weights. Investigators also discovered he had been exercising at a Club Fitness gym, and he was seen walking “normally” while carrying bags of trash shortly before a medical examination where he walked with a cane “at a much slower pace.”
The 50-year-old man pleaded guilty on July 25 to theft of government property or funds, records show. His defense attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News on July 26.
The man applied for increased disability benefits through the Veterans Administration in early 2017 and began receiving benefits later that year, according to his signed plea agreement. He reported he had service-connected degenerative disc disease with degenerative arthritis.
“(He) reported difficulty getting out of bed some mornings, and an inability to stand for extended lengths of time,” officials said. “The examiner noted (he) walked slowly and with a marked limp.”
In November 2017, during his VA back examination, he “demonstrated severe limitations in his range of motion, rotation, and other use of his back,” authorities said. But soon after, he “performed various strenuous exercises with high levels of resistance.”
His workouts included deep squats, leg presses with over 800 pounds, rope pulldowns and exercises inconsistent with the limitations he showed during medical examinations, according to the plea agreement.
Videos posted on Instagram show him exercising in late 2017 and March 2018, authorities said, contradicting those same limitations.
He also applied for Veterans Administration individual unemployability benefits in February 2018 and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in August 2019 — after an earlier application was denied, according to court records.
In his applications, he said his medical conditions affected his ability to stand, sit, walk and move, authorities said.
But as he was applying for Social Security benefits, authorities said he was regularly working out at Club Fitness.
“Per surveillance conducted by investigating agents, (he) continued to workout at Club Fitness in 2020 and 2021,” prosecutors said. “In June 2021, (he) attended a medical review for the VA. Per surveillance conducted that day, (he) was able to ambulate normally and lift and carry bags of trash prior to going to his examination.”
Authorities said the man’s medical conditions are not as disabling as once assessed. He’s accused of being overpaid $106,245 in disability benefits.
His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 25. He faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution.
Berkeley is in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 8:40 AM with the headline "Veteran caught working out in Instagram videos stole $106,245 in disability, feds say."