Poor John Caltabiano. He was working for a cement company in 2006 when he was the victim of an industrial accident. He claimed he was totally blind as a result.
According to Caltabiano, he could not drive or read. He needed help with everyday things such as shaving. He had difficulty walking around his home because he kept bumping into things and getting hurt. When he went out, he needed his girlfriend to accompany him.
A disability hearing was held in Hudson, New York. Before the hearing, authorities received a tip and an investigation was begun by the Department of Justice and the Social Security Administration (SSA). Investigators learned there had in fact been and industrial accident but Caltabiano only lost his sight in one eye. The other eye was just fine. Investigators then followed the 49-year-old and filmed him.
Caltabiano was seen driving and at one point a woman and a child were on the street in front of him. He braked appropriately. He was also observed standing outside a store apparently reading something. Investigators saw him go to a gym. And he opened a door for a woman, unusual for someone who cannot see to do. At one point, he even looked directly into the camera that was filming him.
When he appeared for his disability hearing, he was accompanied by his girlfriend, Colleen J. McCarten, 43. She helped guide him in and out of the hearing.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of New York, a two-week trial was held last fall. On Oct. 16, 2015, Caltabiano and McCarten were convicted by a jury of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, five counts of mail fraud and theft of government property. The jury found these offences occurred between April 2008 and October 2010.
Caltabiano had a previous criminal record that included four convictions for sexual assault and attempted abduction of teenage girls. On Apr. 16, 2016, Caltabiano was sentenced to 57 months in prison. In addition, he will be subject to three years of community supervision after release and was ordered to pay $27,784 to the SSA as restitution.
McCarten was sentenced to three years probation.
ABC reports disability fraud is a major problem in the United States. According to the SSA, the agency received more than 90,000 allegations of fraud to investigate last year and 7,000 cases were opened. Of these, there were 1,200 convictions and the government recovered $225 million from fraudsters. The SSA warns the public they will eventually be caught if they engage in this type of fraud.
Had Caltabiano gotten away with his fraudulent scheme, based upon his life expectancy he would have defrauded the government of about $1.3 million.
