Samuel Pérez-Rivera of Puerto Rico prepared and submitted fraudulent psychiatric medical reports to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Dr. Américo Oms-Rivera signed the reports and both have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Pérez-Rivera pleaded guilty to the sole count of Information on March 12, 2020. The same day, he was charged for fraud in the application process for SSA disability benefits in Puerto Rico. Pérez-Rivera admitted that despite not being a physician, he still fraudulently prepared medical reports where he added fake medical appointments. This provided an illusion of longer medical treatment history to more strongly deceive the SSA and successfully obtain disability insurance benefits. (Clearly, he didn’t consider the consequences that will counter the benefits.)
In order to create these false reports, Pérez-Rivera followed a template which made the reports appear legitimate. The reports were signed by psychiatrist, Dr. Américo Oms-Rivera, before being submitted to SSA. (Psychiatrist, more like psych-I-don’t-trust!)
Pérez-Rivera has been sentenced to three years of probation for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was required to pay $150,000 in restitution to the SSA and was excluded from participating as a Non-Attorney Representative before the SSA. Dr. Américo Oms-Rivera was also sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud on February 5, 2021.
Today’s Fraud of the Day comes from a Department of Justice press release, “Co-Conspirator Sentenced On Charge Of Social Security Fraud,” published on June 16, 2021.
SAN JUAN, P.R. – Samuel Pérez-Rivera was sentenced to three years of probation by United States District Judge Silvia L. Carreño-Coll for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Pérez-Rivera plead guilty to the sole count of an Information on March 12, 2020.
As part of the sentence imposed, Pérez-Rivera paid $150,000 in restitution in favor of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and was excluded, in perpetuity, from participating as a Non-Attorney Representative before the SSA. Pérez-Rivera, as a Non-Attorney Representative, submitted fraudulent psychiatric medical reports to the Social Security Administration. The fraudulent reports were prepared by him and signed by Dr. Américo Oms-Rivera. Dr. Oms was sentenced on February 5, 2021, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
