Prairie State Wire

A man from suburban Chicago has been indicted on charges of fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits using his deceased father's identity. Richard Young, Jr., 61, from Maywood, Illinois, faces four counts of bank fraud and one count of embezzlement of government funds. He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment held on Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim in Chicago. A status hearing is set for July 23, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. District Judge John F. Kness.

The indictment states that Young's father passed away in 2006, but in 2013 Young applied for Social Security benefits under his deceased father's name. The Social Security Administration, unaware of the applicant's death, approved the application and began disbursing benefits to a bank account in the father's name. Between 2015 and 2021, Young allegedly withdrew approximately $178,683 from this account for personal use at various establishments including casinos and restaurants.

The charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, along with Michelle L. Anderson from the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Niranjan Emani is representing the government.

U.S. Attorney Boutros commented on the case stating, "The indictment accuses Mr. Young of fraudulently obtaining benefits for years from a critically important retirement program." He emphasized that such fraud threatens a program vital to millions of Americans and reiterated his office's commitment to prosecuting similar offenses.

It is important to note that an indictment is not proof of guilt; it merely represents formal charges against a defendant who remains presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. Each bank fraud count carries a potential sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison, while embezzlement could result in up to ten years' imprisonment.