FAIRBANKS – The United States Attorney's Office in Alaska has announced that a Canadian citizen has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for an extensive scheme that defrauded the U.S. Social Security Administration of approximately $420,000 over three decades. The individual, identified as 77-year-old Ellis Kingsep, was residing legally in the United States when the fraudulent activities took place.
According to the official statement, Kingsep developed a convoluted strategy to collect Social Security benefits that were intended for his mother. This scheme involved an intricate set of mail forwarding requests, utilizing private postal mailbox services in California, Vancouver, and Alaska. By doing so, Kingsep managed to conceal his receipt of his mother's mail and conducted correspondence under her name. The lengthy deception was designed to mask the fact that he was receiving payments for a beneficiary who had not been in the public record for decades.
Kingsep’s mother would now be 103 years old; however, she has not been seen or documented since 1993, and no death certificate has ever been filed. This lack of evidence has led authorities to presume her deceased. The fraudulent activity reportedly began around 1995, extending uninterrupted until 2023 when an investigator uncovered the elaborate scheme. Following this revelation, Kingsep was arrested in July 2024.
In December 2024, Kingsep pleaded guilty to a single count of mail fraud, admitting to the charges brought against him. The court further mandated that he repay the stolen funds, in addition to imposing a $50,000 criminal fine. After completing his prison sentence, Kingsep will also face three years of supervised release, which will include terms and conditions set by the court to monitor his activities and conduct.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which individuals may go to exploit government programs, highlighting the importance of diligent oversight by agencies like the Social Security Administration. It underscores the necessity for ongoing vigilance in the detection of fraudulent activities aimed at draining public resources intended for legitimate beneficiaries.
