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Timothy Gritman, 56, of Brodheadsville, pleaded guilty to Social Security and wire fraud in a federal court exactly one year ago, Feb. 14, 2023, Daily Voice reported.
This year on Valentine's Day, Gritman was sentenced to five years plus three more of supervised release, prosecutors said in a release.
Authorities have said Gritman's father Ralph was 79 and "in poor health" when he was last seen alive by other family members in 2016. The next summer, authorities said Gritman moved with his father to the state of Wyoming.
Sometime after that, prosecutors said, Gritman's father died. Medicare records show Ralph's health insurance was last used in September 2017, for an emergency hospital visit in Wyoming, but he was never legally reported deceased, according to authorities.
The miscommunication allowed Gritman to continue to collect his dad's Social Security checks and New York State pension, officials said.
Investigators said Gritman even obtained a Pennsylvania state identification for his late dad, and that he was photographed holding up his father's ID while "appearing to use make-up to whiten his hair and eyebrows" during this time.
In all, officials say Gritman fraudulently received $204,985 in benefits, and while federal law enforcement says they are confident his father has died, Ralph Gritman's remains have never been located.
"To date, the defendant refuses to divulge the whereabouts of his father’s remains, which, despite numerous searches, have not been found," prosecutors said.
“Timothy Gritman chose dollars and cents over a dignified death for his dad,” said US Attorney Jacqueline Romero.
“He had been living off of his father Ralph’s retirement benefits for years, even before his father’s passing — and after it, went to significant lengths to keep that money coming in. With today’s sentence, he’s finally being made to answer for his criminal greed.”
In addition to the prison time and supervised release, Gritman must pay a combined $194,085 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and the New York State and Local Retirement System, officials added.
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