PORTLAND — A Livermore Falls man was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to five years of probation for Social Security fraud, health care fraud, and theft of public money.
U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen also ordered Rick V. Greene, 56, to pay $34,119 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and repay $37,944.34 to the Maine Department of Health & Human Services for a total of $72,063. 34.
Greene pleaded guilty to three of five felony charges June 20.
Also on Wednesday, prosecutors dismissed the two remaining charges: Social Security fraud and theft of public money.
Greene was facing a sentence of eight to 14 months in prison, but Assistant U.S Attorney Jeanne Semivan and defense attorney William Maselli had reached an agreement to recommend a sentence of three years of probation during which Greene would be restricted to home detention for eight months, plus pay full restitution.
Judge Torresen balked at the recommendation, saying that home confinement is “very little punishment … I think it’s laughable … it looks like a slap on the hand.”
She added on two years of Greene’s probation more than recommended in an effort to ensure the restitution is paid in full.
Greene is able to work from home doing auto repair.
In December 2016, Greene had resumed work operating Greene’s Auto, an automotive towing and repair business, along with his wife. Greene’s Auto maintained a presence on Facebook, and posts reflect ongoing business activity from December 2016 through at least 2020, investigators said.
Greene failed to report to state and federal government agencies that he had resumed work until 2020, according to court records.
From about January 2017 through December 2020, Greene hid his self-employed work activity, as well as various assets, from the Social Security Administration so as to appear eligible to receive Supplemental Security Income payments.
Those benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled or elderly.
Greene also concealed his work activity and assets from the Maine DHHS to appear eligible to receive MaineCare and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits, which are also income-based programs.
During multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Greene falsely represented to the Social Security Administration and Maine DHHS that his only income was from his Social Security benefit.
He failed to disclose his income and assets, despite knowing that he was required to do so and that they would affect his eligibility to receive benefits, according to prosecutors.
This investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the Maine DHHS’s Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit.
When he pleaded guilty to the three charges in June, Greene agreed to waive his right to appeal his conviction on any sentence less than 10 months in prison.
Greene told the judge on Wednesday he was “sorry for what happened.”
Maselli said his client had been setting up a business with his son. When his son died, it “sent Mr. Greene into a very serious tailspin” of depression that led to his failure to report that he’d started working as well as the assets associated with that work from 2017 to 2020.
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