Ricardo Santiago, 60, of Hartford, was sentenced on Mar. 9 to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining Social Security, unemployment, and food stamp benefits, according to United States Attorney David X. Sullivan for the District of Connecticut.
The case highlights the consequences of benefit fraud involving multiple federal and state programs over a period spanning more than two decades.
Court documents show that between 2002 and 2024, Santiago worked for more than 20 employers and earned over $580,000 while concealing his income from government agencies by using false identification, including a Social Security number belonging to another individual. In one instance, he used a false Social Security card. In 2002, Santiago applied for Retirement Survivors Disability Insurance (RSDI) benefits by claiming he was unable to work due to disability. He began receiving RSDI payments in September of that year and continued to assert his disability status in subsequent paperwork submitted in 2017. Santiago ultimately collected more than $316,000 in RSDI payments he was not entitled to receive.
In February 2017, Santiago applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits with the Connecticut Department of Social Services by stating he had no employment income. He received SNAP benefits starting in March 2017 and made more than $18,000 in purchases with these funds despite being ineligible. In April 2020, Santiago applied for Unemployment Insurance benefits using another individual’s Social Security number and claimed he was unemployed but able to work. From April 2020 through February 2021, he received over $36,000 in unemployment payments without eligibility.
Judge Vernon D. Oliver ordered Santiago to pay $371,686 in restitution. Santiago was arrested on May 7, 2024 and pleaded guilty to wire fraud on February 24, 2025. While awaiting sentencing on bond in September 2025, Santiago staged his own and his daughter’s drowning in the Connecticut River as an attempt to flee authorities; both were found by Hartford Police on September 20, after which Santiago has remained detained.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General; U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General; and U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont prosecuted the case.
Santiago’s sentencing underscores ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address fraudulent claims against public assistance programs.
