Christopher Chadick. Photo courtesy of Syracuse.com.
Summary: A Syracuse lawyer was caught lying about being too ill to work in order to collect Social Security benefits.
Convicted fraudulent lawyer Christopher Chadick got sentenced again. Yesterday, a judge ruled that the Syracuse attorney must serve six months of weekends in jail and five years of probation for stealing social security, Syracuse.com reports.
Chadick was caught fraudulently collecting almost $250,000 in social security payments while still doing legal work. During the period of April 2003 to August 2010, he claimed Social Security disability, saying he had Cushing’s disease, which supposedly prevented him from working. Chadick’s public defender said he did have the disease, which had created an excess growth in his pituitary gland and hospitalized him 10 times. The defender said the disease made him too tired to work and he also suffers from depression.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson said Chadick was lying about being too ill to work, and his abuse was more egregious because he was an attorney.
“As a lawyer, the defendant knew better,” Thomson said in a memorandum.
Federal sentencing guidelines recommend 15 to 21 months in prison for his crime, but U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby showed Chadick mercy and lessened his time so that he could get a job and pay back the money he stole.
Chadick must pay back $100 a month or 10% of his gross income, whichever is greater. Until yesterday’s sentencing, Chadick had been receiving $1,672 a month in Social Security benefits.
This is not the first time that Chadick has been caught being a fraudster. In 2011, he was sentenced to a few years in prison after taking a retainer fee from dozens of clients but never doing any legal work for them. In addition to serving prison time, he ended up paying restitution to 45 clients and was disbarred.
Source: Syracuse