New Jersey man admits to stealing $600,000 in benefits for his dead father

A North Jersey man could face up to a decade in prison after admitting to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of welfare benefits intended for his dead father.

Last week, 66-year-old Steven Jones of Somerset pleaded guilty in federal court in Trenton to charges of converting federal funds.

According to federal authorities, Jones’ father received several state pension benefits before his death in October 2004. After his death, Jones intentionally falsified his father’s death certificate so that federal authorities could continue issuing these pension benefits.

On two occasions, Jones had a person impersonate his father to a federal agency so that they would believe his father was still alive and continue making payments.

An investigation found that Jones unlawfully collected these payments for nearly two decades, from October 2004 to December 2023.

The charge of converting government funds is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Sentencing is scheduled for April 21.