A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to to 28 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $398,708.58 in restitution, for using stolen identities and Social Security numbers to file for government benefits, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid payments.
James Sessoms, 60, took more than $1 million by selling the fraudulently acquired SNAP cards for profit at a local supermarket, according to United States Attorney David Metcalf
Sessoms was charged by indictment in October of 2024 and pleaded guilty this April to one count of SNAP fraud, seven counts of false statements in connection with health care benefits, and seven counts of Social Security fraud.
Court filings say that from about November 2019 through November 2023, Sessoms defrauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture of SNAP benefits, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services of Medicaid benefits, by submitting false and fraudulent benefit applications, including false and fraudulent identification documents in connection with his applications.
“Stealing money from government programs is an awful crime,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “We will continue to prosecute fraud against the government and hold crooks like Sessoms accountable, on behalf of all the taxpayers funding these programs.”
Sessoms obtained or created the names, SSNs, and personally identifiable information for fake people, and obtained the names and personally identifiable information of other persons, including valid SSNs, which he placed on the applications for SNAP and Medical benefits.
“We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners for their hard work on this investigation. Those who are involved in fraud regarding USDA taxpayer-funded programs will be investigated by our office to protect the integrity of those programs,” said USDA Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker.
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To obtain these benefits, Sessoms also submitted false and fraudulent driver’s licenses bearing his photograph under those fictitious and other persons’ names.
On some of the online applications, the defendant added purported family members, such as a spouse and children, which caused for more funds to be awarded for SNAP benefits, but also caused additional Medicaid costs, including additional costs for all of the added family members. To obtain these benefits with family members on the applications, Sessoms submitted fraudulent names and personally identifiable information for a spouse and children, to include fraudulent birth certificates for the children. The Social Security numbers utilized in connection with these identities were valid SSNs, assigned by the Commissioner of Social Security, but assigned to other individuals than the names alleged by the defendant.
From approximately November 2019 to November 2023, PA DHS, with joint federal funding from HHS, provided Medicaid coverage to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.
Over the same time period, PA DHS, with federal funding from the USDA, provided SNAP benefits to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.
“Mr. Sessoms orchestrated an audacious scheme—creating fake Social Security numbers while exploiting real ones—to siphon off more than $1 million from programs meant to safeguard the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General, Social Security Administration. “Let this case serve as a warning; those who exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be met with aggressive investigation and prosecution.
Under President Trump's administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to eradicate SNAP fraud.
The case was investigated by the USDA-OIG, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, HHS Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.
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