How Much is Enough?

Some people believe that if they only had more money, they would be happy. The Washington Times reports that one man in Hawaii had a significant amount of money, but that fact didn’t prevent him from illegally obtaining more funds by bilking the government of about $200,000 of a variety of government benefits.

The 67-year-old man, who changed his name approximately 15 years ago, was using multiple identities to receive medical care benefits, food stamps, rental subsidies and tuition assistance. (A Fraud Hat Trick!) Court records show that he stated to the judge that it was convenient to use different names. (Perhaps the fraudster will understand that it would be convenient for the judge to put him in jail.)

It seems the criminal, who had a Mercedes-Benz and a sailboat, neglected to disclose on benefit applications that he had received a$300,000 inheritance from his deceased parents. (This fact would have made him ineligible to receive public assistance benefits.) The false information he provided allowed him to receive a master’s degree in geography through illegally gained federal grants and loans.

The man ended up pleading guilty to stealing from the government, identity theft and possessing a firearm. (It turns out he is a felon. Go figure.) The prosecuting attorney estimated that the man owes about $200,000 in restitution. He faces up to 10 years in prison for stealing government property, two years for identity theft and another 10 years for possessing a firearm.

The article reports that his Mercedes and sailboat are old and without much value and his inheritance ran out years ago. (I’m not feeling sorry for this felon who just borrowed a few names, stole some public funds and only had one handgun.) One thing is for certain, if he wasn’t happy before, he sure isn’t going to be happy in jail. (When criminals are concerned, this begs the question, how much money is enough? The answer is: it’s never enough.)

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