U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of New Hampshire
Federal Building 603/225-1552
53 Pleasant Street, 4th Floor
Concord, New Hampshire 03301

MEDIA RELEASE Contact: Michael J. Gunnison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Acting United States Attorney

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Mark S. Zuckerman
Assistant U.S. Attorney
(603) 225-1552

WINDHAM MAN SENTENCED FOR FILING FALSE CLAIM WITH THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Jalil Farhoumanzadeh, age 50, of Windham, New Hampshire, was sentenced today to six months of home confinement, one year of probation, and
a $10,000 fine for filing a false claim with the Social Security Administration. Farhoumanzadeh filed a false claim involving benefits payments his father had been
receiving under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program. The SSI program is a nationwide federal cash assistance program that guarantees a minimum level of income for
needy, aged, blind, or disabled individuals who have little or no income and resources.

Farhoumanzadeh’s father began receiving SSI benefits payments in July, 1996. The benefits payments were wire transferred into a joint checking account Farhoumanzadeh held with his
father.

Farhoumanzadeh knew that Social Security Administration rules and regulations provided that an absence from the United States for a full calendar month or for thirty
consecutive days or longer disqualified a recipient of SSI benefits from continuing to receive benefits. Farhoumanzadeh also knew that his father was periodically absent from the United
States for thirty consecutive days or longer from 1997 through 2003; and that he was absent from the United States from about June, 2004, through about June, 2006, and from about September, 2006, through about May 16, 2008.

Despite this knowledge, on or about May 22, 2008, Farhoumanzadeh made and filed a written statement with the Social Security Administration in which he falsely stated that since
May 1, 2005, his father had made only one trip outside of the United States and that his father had not lived outside the United States for a period of 30 days since he began receiving SSI
benefits payments. The loss amount attributable to this false statement was $38,198.50.

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Farhoumanzadeh was arrested in connection with his false claim by agents of the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration on May 22, 2008. On December
22, 2008, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Concord, New Hampshire, to filing a false claim with the Social Security Administration.

Today, the court sentenced Farhoumanzadeh to one year of probation with the special condition that he serve six months of home confinement. The court also ordered
Farhoumanzadeh to pay a $10,000 fine.

In addition to pleading guilty and being sentenced for the crime of making a false claim, Farhoumanzadeh earlier agreed to enter into a separate settlement agreement to resolve his
potential civil liability under the federal False Claims Act. Without admitting any liability, Farhoumanzadeh agreed to pay the United States $85,000 to resolve allegations that he violated
the False Claims Act by making false statements to representatives of the Social Security Administration in order to prevent the Social Security Administration from learning that his
father had been out of the United States for substantial periods of time and had been paid SSI benefits he was not entitled to receive. Under the False Claims Act, if it is established that a
person has submitted false or fraudulent claims to the United States, the government can recover treble damages and $5,500 to $11,000 for each false or fraudulent claim filed.
Farhounamzadeh’s voluntary settlement of the civil matter also satisfied his obligation to pay restitution in the criminal case.

This case was investigated by Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman.