Greene man guilty in benefits scam

A Greene County man faces a possible 10-year prison sentence for Social Security fraud.
Irven Jones, 65, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville on Monday to wrongfully receiving $97,000 in disability payments, according to U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee.
“As a law-enforcement community, we have to ensure that these critical programs are not taken advantage of and used to line the pockets of those who intentionally commit fraud,” he said.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General investigated Jones after he continued working at a Bealeton nursing home while receiving disability payments, Brownlee said.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy S. Healey, both Jones and his wife worked for the nursing home.
While Jones was receiving disability pay and reportedly no longer working at the home, he nonetheless continued serving as the general manager, according to Healey. When he was taken off the payroll, his wife’s salary doubled.
Along with the prison sentence, Irven Jones also faces a possible $250,000 fine.