James Sessoms, a Philadelphia resident, has pleaded guilty to charges including SNAP fraud, false statements related to health care benefits, and Social Security fraud. The announcement was made by United States Attorney David Metcalf, with the plea entered before United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney.
Sessoms' charges were originally filed in October 2024. He admitted to using stolen identities and Social Security numbers to claim government benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. The scheme resulted in a loss of over $1 million to the government.
Court documents outline Sessoms' illegal activities from November 2019 to November 2023, where he defrauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, along with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. By submitting false applications and documents, including fake identification and Social Security numbers, Sessoms secured SNAP and Medicaid benefits under various aliases.
In some applications, Sessoms listed fictitious family members to gain additional SNAP funds and incur further Medicaid costs. He also used real Social Security numbers of other individuals, combining them with bogus identities.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services granted SNAP and Medicaid benefits to Sessoms' aliases and alleged family members between 2019 and 2023, with federal support from concerned agencies.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 21, where Sessoms could face up to 90 years in prison. The investigation involved several agencies, including USDA and Social Security Administration Offices of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.