Crime & Safety
Fairfield Man Sentenced for Stealing $300K in Social Security Checks
James Briggs Jr., 68, plead guilty to one count of theft of government property in January 2012. He was sentenced Thursday.
[Editor's Note: The following information was taken from a U.S. Department of Justice press release.]
A Fairfield man convicted of stealing more than $300,000 in Social Security checks made to his deceased father was sentenced Thursday.
According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, James Briggs Jr., 68, was sentenced by Judge Alvin Thompson to 18 months imprisonment, which will be followed by three years of supervised release. Briggs was also ordered to perform 150 hours of community service.
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Court documents and statements made in court revealed that Briggs' father, James Briggs Sr., began receiving monthly Social Security checks in 1974 before he died on Aug. 20, 1982.
Briggs Jr. continued to receive and use the checks until August 2011. The checks amounted to a total of $307,925.
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He plead guilty to one count of theft of government property in January 2012 and was ordered to pay restitution. To date, Briggs has paid back approximately $38,000.
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