California man hides mother's death, claims benefits for 32 years
In an unusual development reported in California, a man admitted to hiding his mother's death for over three decades to enjoy the monetary benefits of her social security and military retirement plans. "This crime is believed to be the longest-running and largest fraud of its kind in this district," said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman in a statement he issued.
Donald Felix Zampach began this practice before his mother's demise
The man, identified as Donald Felix Zampach, started this scam right before his mother died in 1990 in Japan. Per the U.S. Attorney's Office, he "fraudulently conveyed her Poway home and filed for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy, disclosing neither his ownership of the Poway home nor the government benefits payments he was receiving." He continued collecting benefits as though she was still alive today.
He notified the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, intentionally skipped SSN
After his mother died of pancreatic cancer in Japan, he informed the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo about the same. Cleverly, he skipped mentioning her social security number (SSN) so that he could enjoy the monthly cheques that would credit to her bank accounts.
He accumulated over $830,000 from November 1990 to September 2022
`Zampach's late mother used to receive a widow's pension through Social Security and also an annuity from the Department of Defense's Finance Accounting Service. When 65-year-old Zampach pleaded guilty, he made an astounding revelation that between November 1990 to September 2022, he had amassed over a whopping $830,000 in her name! He has been charged with Social Security fraud and money laundering.
He forged his mother's signatures, filed false ITRs
Zampach forged his mother's signatures and opened at least nine credit cards in her name. He even filed false income tax returns to show that the deceased is alive to date! "He filed false income tax returns, posed as his mother, and signed her name to many documents. When investigators caught up to him, he continued to claim she was still alive," shared Grossman.
He has agreed to return the money, forfeit Poway home
After pleading guilty, Zampach agreed to return the $830,000 he had collected over the decades and has also agreed to forfeit his Poway home. Per reports, he will be brought to the court for his sentencing in September this year.
