This past November, Mohammad Husseini was sentenced to six months prison time and ordered to pay back the $111,000 he “stole” from the Social Security Administration. The 59-year-old immigrant from Afghanistan, who became a U.S. citizen in 1978, had been fraudulently receiving Social Security Disability benefits since 1999.

In 1990, Husseini suffered a work-related injury and applied for and received Social Security disability payments, court documents said. Of course, as is always the case when one is approved for benefits, Husseini had to agree to notify the SSA if he again obtained employment at a later date. However, when Husseini got a job in 1999 working for Catholic Charities, he decided he’d take another route.

Instead of using his own Social Security number, he simply gave the charity organization his brother’s Social Security number. This way, his earnings would not be reported to the government, and he could thus continue receiving the Social Security Disability payments despite his work status. Husseini didn’t report his change of work status until April of 2006, after he had already fraudulently collected approximately $111,000 in disability payments.

When Husseini’s case was brought to court, prosecutors sought a swift and severe penalty for his fraudulent actions. The Judge overseeing the case apparently sided with the prosecutors, and Husseini was thus sentenced to jail time and ordered to pay back the money.

Let this be a lesson to anyone who is on disability and then returns to work. Always be sure to report your back to work status if you end up gaining employment while on Social Security Disability!