A former NYPD officer collected more than $100,000 in state disability benefits while operating a training business and sharing weightlifting content online, according to state prosecutors.
Raymond Phillips, 40, of Huntington, applied for disability benefits in 2018, saying he injured his arm while lifting weights and could no longer work. But prosecutors said he continued posting workout photos and videos on Facebook and Instagram and even competed in weightlifting events, state Attorney General Letitia James announced.
“Raymond Phillips shamelessly collected benefits meant for disabled New Yorkers while boasting his weightlifting achievements on social media,” James said in a statement.
“My office has no tolerance for fraudsters who cheat the system and steal from programs that are a lifeline for New Yorkers in need,” she said. “I thank our partners in law enforcement and the Social Security Administration for ensuring we hold those who steal taxpayer dollars accountable.”
Phillips, identified by state officials as a former NYPD cop, claimed in August 2018 that he had injured his left arm and needed surgery, leaving him unable to work.
The Social Security Administration approved the claim in May 2021 and made the benefits retroactive to 2018, enabling Phillips to receive more than $100,000, the attorney general’s office said.
At the same time, prosecutors said, Phillips continued training, posting videos and photos of his bench-pressing and power-lifting efforts, and working as a personal trainer.
State investigators later opened a probe that led to charges this week of grand larceny and offering a false instrument, according to the attorney general’s office.
Online court records do not list an attorney for Phillips and show he’s due back in court Aug. 13.
“Social Security disability benefits are intended for individuals who are legitimately unable to work—not those who misrepresent their medical condition for financial gain,” Conor Washington, special agent in charge of the Social Security Administration’s inspector general, said in a statement.
“By falsely claiming he could not use his dominant arm while continuing to work as a personal trainer, the defendant stole benefits intended for Americans with legitimate disabilities,” Washington said.
