For more than seven years, Anthony Ragusa of Huntington, New York collected more than $200,000 in disability claims from the Social Security Administration. Ragusa's stated that injuries sustained from a fall at work as an electrician prevented him from working. Turns out that not only was Ragusa still running his limousine service side hustle but he had transformed himself in a bodybuilder. How did he get caught? His wife posted photos of him lifting weights on her Instagram account. From the New York Attorney General's Office:
On the application for benefits, Ragusa represented that his injuries from a fall as an electrician were so severe that he had difficulty bending over to put on shoes, walking for more than 15 minutes, and sitting for more than 30 minutes. Ragusa also stated that the pain from his injuries prevented him from working in any capacity.
Investigators from the OAG reviewed documents from the state Department of Transportation and minutes from a town hearing from 2012 show that, at the time of his fall, Ragusa was the president and owner of the White Star Limousine company in New Hyde Park, NY. Additionally, extensive video and photographic evidence from Ragusa's wife's Instagram account show that, beginning in 2017, Ragusa began a physical transformation into a bodybuilder.
Additionally, from January 2015 to 2020, in hearings and written reports to determine his eligibility, Ragusa maintained his eligibility despite continuing to run a business and lift weights.
