A West Sacramento man is accused of taking part in a scheme that defrauded the Social Security Administration of more than $450,000, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
A federal grand jury Thursday returned a 13-count indictment against Eric Lemoyne Willis, 42, of West Sacramento, and Darron Dimitri Ross, 33, of Charlotte, North Carolina, said the U.S. attorney’s office in a press release. They have been charged with conspiracy to defraud and commit crimes against the United States, theft of government property, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.
According to the release, Willis worked as a Social Security Administration operation supervisor in Sacramento and Lodi from 2015 to 2018. During this time, Willis accessed private information of Social Security beneficiaries who used direct deposit for large benefit sums, officials said.
Willis gave this information to Ross in North Carolina, where Ross set up fake bank accounts with the stolen identities, according to the U.S. attorney. Ross then called the Social Security Administration and attempted to transfer benefit deposits from the original bank accounts to the fraudulent accounts he established using the beneficiaries’ private information.
The money was then available for Ross to use, who then transferred a portion of it to Willis for his role in the crime, the release said.
This private information included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, account numbers, family information and benefit payment amounts, officials said.
At least 148 beneficiaries were affected, and the total losses to the Social Security Administration exceeded $450,000.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, Willis and Ross spent the money on trips to Las Vegas and luxury items like Rolex watches.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration and the FBI. Ross and Willis were arrested last week by federal agents.
Willis was released on bond in Sacramento, and Ross was detained pending his appearance in federal court, the U.S attorney’s office said.
If Ross and Willis are convicted, the combined maximum penalty could be as much as 37 years in prison and a $750,000 fine.
This story was originally published December 21, 2018 2:24 PM.