Illegal scheme results in loss of more than $60,000
A Tattnall County man awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to cashing disability payments intended for a deceased relative.
Danny Alan Guyton, 53, of Reidsville, pled guilty to Theft of Government Money, Property, or Records, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The guilty plea subjects Guyton to a statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison, along with substantial fines, restitution and up to three years of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Fraud against federal Social Security programs is a direct abuse of taxpayer-funded support intended for those who earned those benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We are committed to protecting government resources and holding accountable those who would fraudulently obtain Social Security benefits.”
As described in the plea agreement, from about June 2021 until April 2025, in Tattnall County, Guyton fraudulently received Social Security disability compensation issued on behalf of his deceased father-in-law, converting the proceeds to his own use through ATM cash withdrawals, retail store purchases and for his own living expenses. Guyton’s scheme resulted in a loss to the U.S. Government of approximately $60,170.
“Stealing benefits intended for vulnerable Americans by using the identity of a deceased individual is unacceptable,” said Norman Jenkins, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Atlanta Field Division, SSA Office of the Inspector General. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who fraudulently obtain Social Security funds and to protect the integrity of these vital programs for those who depend on them.”
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing for Guyton upon completion of a presentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons.
This is a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
