Reno Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security Benefits

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James Vincent Jr., 52, of Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, the Social Security Administration (SSA) paid monthly Social Security disability benefits to Vincent’s father until the father’s death in October 2015. The benefits were automatically deposited into a joint bank account held by both Vincent and his father. Vincent did report his father’s death to SSA, but SSA continued to deposit benefit funds into the joint account from October 2015 through May 2020. During this five-year period, Vincent maintained control of the joint account and regularly withdrew and stole the post-death Social Security payments – totaling approximately $90,000 – for his own use.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Artuz is prosecuting the case.

Vincent is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Nov. 2, 2021. Vincent faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.