PORTLAND — A Livermore Falls man admitted Tuesday to committing Social Security and health care fraud and stealing public money.
Rick V. Greene, 56, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to three felonies, two of which are punishable by up to five years in prison; the third, up to 10 years.
Each of the charges is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.
Greene hid self-employment work and assets from the Social Security Administration from January 2017 through December 2020 in an effort to maintain his eligibility to receive Supplemental Security Income payments, according to prosecutors.
Supplemental Security Income benefits are paid to people who have limited income due to a disability or are older.
Greene also hid from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services government his work and assets in an effort to maintain his eligibility to receive Medicaid health care benefits through MaineCare as well as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
Greene falsely represented to the Social Security Administration and Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services that his only income was from Supplemental Security Income, and he failed to report assets in the form of property and vehicles, according to prosecutors.
Greene knew he was required to disclose that information and that it would affect his eligibility to receive benefits, according to prosecutors.
Two additional charges, Social Security fraud and theft of public money, are expected to be dismissed at sentencing, which will be scheduled after a presentence investigation report is completed by the U.S. Probation Office, U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen said Tuesday.
In a plea agreement, prosecutors recommended to the judge that Greene be sentenced to probation with a term of home detention instead of prison, but that he be allowed to work while on probation.
Greene agreed Tuesday to waive his right to appeal his conviction on any sentence less than 10 months in prison.
Prosecutors said in court documents that Greene had acknowledged the amount of money he unlawfully took from state and federal governments was: $34,119 from Supplemental Security Income; $22,770 from MaineCare; $14,624 from SNAP; and $550 from Maine’s Supplemental Security Income program.
Greene agreed to pay restitution for the total amount of money he took, according to prosecutors.
Greene applied for Supplemental Security Income in 2010, according to prosecutors.
In December 2016, Greene resumed work operating Greene’s Auto, an automotive towing and repair business, along with his wife. Greene’s Auto maintained a presence on Facebook, and posts reflect ongoing business activity from December 2016 through at least 2020, according to prosecutors.
Greene failed to report to state and federal government agencies that he had resumed work until 2020, according to prosecutors.
He also failed to report owning two properties and three vehicles, according to prosecutors.
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