PORTLAND — A Livermore Falls man Tuesday denied he committed federal welfare fraud for three years.
Rick V. Greene, 55, was charged in an indictment by a federal grand jury with felony crimes, including two counts of Social Security fraud, health care fraud and theft of public money.
Greene appeared in U.S. District Court by videoconference, where he pleaded not guilty to the five charges.
Each of three of the charges is punishable by up to five years in prison; the other two, 10 years each.
Prosecutors did not seek to have Greene detained pending trial, which U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Torresen said is scheduled to start July 5. He remains free on personal recognizance.
Torresen told Greene he must refrain from drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs, including marijuana, for which he can be tested at random while he awaits trial.
Greene must get medical or psychiatric treatment as directed, Torresen ordered.
According to the May 4 indictment, over three years starting in 2017, Greene failed to disclose to the government money he earned from working that would affect his eligibility for government entitlement benefits, including payments he received.
Over that same period, Greene also failed to report income that would have made him ineligible for some or all of the MaineCare benefits he received, according to court records.
During those three years, he falsely reported that his only source of income was from Social Security and failed to report income from self-employment, as well as assets, which made him ineligible for the more than $1,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly food stamps) benefits he received, according to court records.
Over that same period, Greene also collected more than $1,000 in Social Security income for which he had been ineligible because of his income, which he failed to disclose to the federal government, court records claim.
On Aug. 8, 2017, Greene made false statements and representations of fact to the Social Security Administration in its determination of Greene’s rights to benefits through that agency, falsely claiming he received no income other than from Social Security when he knew he received income from self-employment, according to court records.
Greene hired criminal defense attorney William Maselli, who attended the Tuesday videoconference hearing.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
