Ellis Kingsep, a 77-year-old Canadian national residing in the United States, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for defrauding the Social Security Administration (SSA) of over $420,000. Kingsep's scheme spanned nearly three decades, from 1995 to 2023. He was also ordered to pay full restitution and serve three years on supervised release.
Kingsep orchestrated an elaborate plan to redirect SSA benefits meant for his mother into accounts he controlled. His mother, presumed deceased and would be 103 years old now, had not been recorded since 1993. Court documents reveal that Kingsep used private postal mailbox accounts across California, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Alaska to conceal his actions.
In 2013, a change of address notice allegedly signed by Kingsep’s mother indicated a move to Alaska. The Fairbanks address was linked to a mail forwarding service used by Kingsep. This service forwarded mail through various locations before reaching him in Los Angeles.
The SSA began depositing benefits directly into a joint account held by Kingsep and his mother in November 1996. Video footage showed him withdrawing cash regularly from this account until the payments stopped in 2023 when an investigation uncovered the fraud.
Following his arrest in July 2024, authorities discovered books on creating fake identities and foreign bank statements at a storage unit rented by Kingsep. He pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud on December 10, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman emphasized the severity of the crime: “Mr. Kingsep manipulated a critical assistance program by fraudulently collecting his mother’s social security benefits for nearly three decades.” Michelle L. Anderson from the SSA noted that "this sentence holds him accountable for deliberately concealing his existence."
The case was investigated by the SSA Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG), with Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley prosecuting.
In related developments, four other individuals have been charged with similar offenses involving Social Security fraud:
- Barbara Coleman from Cheney, Washington converted over $28,000 intended for her deceased uncle.
- Bernadette Kibby from Sitka is accused of converting over $107,000 intended for her deceased father.
- Sarah Korn from Anchorage allegedly stole over $50,000 intended for her stepfather.
- Aleksander Savelieff from Nikolaevsk allegedly converted over $44,000 intended for his deceased mother.
These cases are part of ongoing efforts between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and SSA OIG to combat government fund thefts.