Peru Man Sentenced for False Statements to the Social Security Administration

DES MOINES, IA – Troy John Pitzen, age 58, of Peru, Iowa, was sentenced May 26, 2022, to 24 months in prison following his guilty plea to making false statements to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Pitzen’s term of imprisonment will be followed by three years of supervised release.

Between 2006 and 2017, Pitzen stole approximately $371,356 in Social Security survivors benefits belonging to his three minor children. Those benefits were paid to Pitzen, as the children’s representative payee, following the death of the children’s mother. During that time, Pitzen repeatedly submitted paperwork to the SSA falsely claiming the children were living with him and he was using the children’s survivors benefits to care for the children. In fact, the children were living with and being cared for by other individuals while Pitzen continued to receive the children’s benefits and converted most of those benefits to his own use.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.