A Gloucester County man admitted Monday that he used the identity of a dead person to claim more than $200,000 in Social Security and Medicaid benefits over the course of 14 years, federal prosecutors said.
Dennis Gaudette, 72, of Franklinville, applied for the benefits in March 2009 and until March 2023, he collected $43,464 in Social Security Retirement Income Benefits and $85,332.50 in Supplemental Security Income benefits, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office District of New Jersey.
During that same period of time, the state paid him $88,993 in Medicaid benefits for medical care, testing, and medications that Gaudette received using the name of the deceased individual, identified only as D.K., the office said.
Gaudette’s relationship to D.K. was not disclosed by the office.
During the 14-year period, he was never eligible for any of these benefits, authorities said.
Gaudette pleaded guilty Monday in Camden federal court to one count of Social Security fraud, the release stated. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15.
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Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com.
