A New York man was arrested for disability fraud after investigators spotted pictures of him weightlifting on his bodybuilder wife's I...
A New York man was arrested for disability fraud after investigators spotted pictures of him weightlifting on his bodybuilder wife's Instagram.
Anthony Ragusa, 50, was arrested on Long Island for collecting more than $200,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration despite allegedly not being disabled, Attorney General Letitia James announced on Friday.
Ragusa claimed he suffered injuries after a fall in 2013 while working as an electrician, according to his disability application form.
He alleged that his injuries 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 - preventing him from working.
However, he collected the benefits until 2020 despite still owning and earning income from a limousine business in New Hyde Park on Long Island.
His wife, professional bodybuilder Loly Ragusa, has posted a number of pictures and videos of him lifting heavy weights to her social media accounts and even tagged his White Star Limousine business in them, accounts believed to belong to her show.
'Disability benefits exist to help those who need a safety net when their bodies cannot fulfill day-to-day obligations,' James in the press release.
Ragusa was arraigned on Friday before Suffolk County District Court (pictured) Judge Stephen Ukeiley and has been charged with one felony count of grand larceny and one felony count of offering a false instrument for filing
'While cheating the state out of thousands of dollars, Anthony Ragusa was simultaneously running a business and posing for pictures of his bodybuilding on the internet.'
James called his alleged crime 'a shameful slap in the face to those who actually live with disabilities' and 'a vast waste of taxpayer dollars.'
'My office will not hesitate to pursue those who defraud our system and saddle our state with debt,' she said.
Ragusa was arraigned on Friday before Suffolk County District Court Judge Stephen Ukeiley and has been charged with one felony count of grand larceny and one felony count of offering a false instrument for filing.
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