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Trump admin cracks down on unemployment benefit fraud
The Trump administration’s anti-fraud task force has launched a nationwide crackdown on unemployment benefit fraud, beginning in Massachusetts. Officials announced 15 arrests, highlighting the issue of illegal immigrants allegedly stealing US citizens’ identities to claim SNAP, disability, and Social Security benefits. This initiative aims to aggressively prosecute those stealing from critical programs
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A Long Island man has been accused of collecting disability payments while simultaneously competing in weightlifting competitions, and posting fitness content to social media, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday
Raymond Phillips, 40, was arrested this month after an investigation found that he allegedly collected more than $100,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) from 2021 to 2024, according to a statement from the attorney general’s office
In a press release announcing the charges, the attorney general’s office included three photos from 2023 that appeared to show Phillips bench pressing and squatting
Phillips was able to receive disability payments by claiming a weightlifting injury prevented him from working, the attorney general’s office said
Raymond Phillips appears to perform a squat at a 2023 weightlifting competition in a photo provided by the New York Attorney General’s Office.(New York Attorney General’s Office)
“Raymond Phillips shamelessly collected benefits meant for disabled New Yorkers while boasting his weightlifting achievements on social media,” James said in a statement. “My office has no tolerance for fraudsters who cheat the system and steal from programs that are a lifeline for New Yorkers in need.”
According to the attorney general’s office, Phillips filed paperwork with the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) in August 2018 claiming he injured his dominant arm that June from weightlifting
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a church service as part of the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators 55th annual legislative conference at the Albany Capital Center on Feb. 15, 2026.(Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union
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In that paperwork, Phillips said he had undergone surgery, could not perform rudimentary tasks without help and was dealing with extreme pain, the attorney general’s office said
In May 2021, Phillips’ claim was approved by the federal government and for the next three years, he received payments, according to prosecutors
During that time, Phillips allegedly posted several videos and photos of himself weightlifting on Facebook and Instagram. His social media accounts have since been deleted
An image appears to show Raymond Phillips performing a bench press at a 2023 weightlifting competition.(New York Attorney General’s Office)
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Conor Washington, special agent in charge at the SSA Office of Inspector General, also accused Phillips of continuing to work as a personal trainer while collecting disability payments
Phillips was charged in a three-count indictment, charging him with second degree grand larceny and two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree
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If he is convicted of grand larceny, he’ll face a maximum of 15 years in prison
Fox News Digital reached out to Phillips’ defense attorney for comment
