Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 15

Raymond Phillips Arrested Over $100,000 Disability Fraud After Competing in 2023 Weightlifting Events

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Jul 15

Raymond Phillips Arrested Over $100,000 Disability Fraud After Competing in 2023 Weightlifting Events

Q: How did a competitive weightlifter collect disability benefits for years while publicly posting his workouts online?

He allegedly collected the benefits by making false disability claims that were approved and then went unchecked for years despite public evidence that contradicted them. According to New York Attorney General Letitia James and the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, Raymond Phillips told New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance in 2018 that a weightlifting injury to his dominant arm left him in extreme pain, unable to work, and unable to perform basic daily tasks without help. The federal government approved his disability claim in May 2021, and he received more than $100,000 from the Social Security Administration between 2021 and 2024, while continuing to claim eligibility into 2025. Investigators say the fraud was exposed because Phillips was publicly posting material that directly undercut his claims. His social media accounts allegedly showed him bench pressing, squatting, competing in weightlifting events, and promoting himself as a personal trainer. Authorities also say he kept working as a trainer while collecting disability payments. In practical terms, the case shows how disability fraud can persist when agencies rely heavily on applicant statements and medical filings unless later reviews, tips, or investigations uncover inconsistencies. Here, prosecutors say those inconsistencies were visible online. Phillips has been indicted on grand larceny and false filing charges and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 15

Raymond Phillips, 40, was arrested this month and charged in a three-count indictment after prosecutors said he collected more than $100,000 in Social Security disability benefits from 2021 to 2024.
Investigators said Phillips claimed a 2018 weightlifting injury left him unable to work or perform basic tasks, but later posted photos and videos of himself bench pressing and squatting at 2023 competitions.
The Social Security Administration's inspector general also alleged Phillips kept working as a personal trainer while receiving benefits; the charges include second-degree grand larceny and two false-filing counts.
A grand larceny conviction carries up to 15 years in prison, and the case was announced as federal officials launched a broader anti-fraud push that began with 15 arrests in Massachusetts.