Typically known for its production of cheese and the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin is also home to fraudster John P. Fischer. (I’m sure that Wisconsin wishes it were not his home.) Fischer was recently sentenced after pleading guilty to Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) fraud.
Fischer admitted to defrauding federal and state social security programs out of more than $73,500 between 2009 and 2017. He knowingly concealed numerous financial resources from the Social Security Administration to qualify for the benefits. (He wanted more supplemental income without working for additional supplemental income We would all be so lucky to receive such a supplement.)
Prosecutors say Fischer filed for SSI claiming that he met all criteria, but in fact, he had bank accounts, investment accounts, and vehicles that put him well above the $2,000 limit. Among them was a Roth IRA worth more than $42,000 that Fischer knowingly concealed from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and secretly cashed out. (Fischer wasn’t someone who was desperate for cash, he was someone who wanted to pad his pockets at the expense of taxpayers.)
Fischer also paid more than $48,000 for two GMC Acadia SUVs without notifying the SSA that he had the money or the vehicles. In addition, Fischer’s scheme involved concealing his accounts and vehicles under the guise of two different “churches,” which were simply a front to hide his assets. (If I were Fischer, I’d start praying for a way out of the mess he’s made.)
The funds he fraudulently obtained are emergency funds intended to help the blind, disabled, and those over 65 years of age who have little to no income and no more than $2,000 in resources. (They are not intended to finance new cars and lifestyle habits of fraudsters.)
Fischer was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) fraud. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has initiated an action to seize and auction two of Fischer’s vehicles, including a fully restored 1957 Chevy Bel Air that Fischer concealed from the SSA.
Today’s Fraud of the Day comes from an article, “Appleton man sentenced in Social Security fraud case,” published by Fox 11 News on November 24, 2021.
An Appleton man was sentenced for defrauding social security of more than $73,500.
John P. Fischer, 63, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) Fraud.
