Local man accused of fraud

CONCORD – A Windham man is accused of defrauding the U.S. government by helping his Iranian father collect Social Security benefits, court records show.

Jalil Farhoumanzadeh, of 6 Sherwood Road, faces a single count of making a false statement in U.S. District Court in Concord.

Prosecutors first charged Farhoumanzadeh in May with wire fraud and making a false statement, but a new, single false statement charge was filed Nov. 20.

Farhoumanzadeh is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 22 for a plea hearing, suggesting that he and his lawyer, Donald Kennedy, of Manchester, have negotiated a plea bargain with the government.

Farhoumanzadeh’s parents, Ali and Fathemeh, both were assigned Social Security numbers in 1994, and Ali Farhoumanzadeh began collecting $623 monthly disability payments in 1996, according to an affidavit filed in court by Joseph DeSantis, an agent with the Social Security Inspector General’s Office.

Farhoumanzadeh and his parents all are “legal permanent aliens” in the United States, and thus are potentially eligible to receive Social Security benefits, as long as they don’t leave the country for more than 30 days at a time. The government alleges, however, that Ali Farhoumanzadeh was collecting disability benefits while living in Iran.

Ali and Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh also had New Hampshire driver’s licenses, DeSantis wrote, and they purported to live with their son in Windham. Social Security sent Ali Farhoumanzadeh a letter last year inviting his wife, Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh, to apply for retirement benefits, as she had turned 65. Her application was ultimately denied because she had never worked in the United States, DeSantis wrote.

Jalil Farhoumanzadeh then made an appointment for his mother to apply for disability benefits, DeSantis wrote.

Customs records showed that Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh had left the United States in September 2006, then returned in late April 2007. Her son had arranged an appointment on May 4, 2007, for her to apply for disability benefits at the Social Security office in Lawrence, Mass., DeSantis wrote. There, her son claimed she was living with him and hadn’t been out of the country for more than 30 days, he wrote. Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh returned to Iran on May 30, 2007, DeSantis wrote.

The government charges Farhoumanzadeh helped his father collect payments by falsely claiming his father lived with him at home and had traveled to Iran only briefly. In fact, the government claims, Ali Farhoumanzadeh lived in Iran for months and sometimes years at a time, and his SSI benefits were deposited into a bank account held jointly by him and his son.

Prosecutors at one point filed a charge against Ali Farhoumanzadeh, but later dropped it “without prejudice,” meaning they could renew the prosecution in the future. No charges have been filed against Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh.

Andrew Wolfe can be reached at 594-6410 or awolfe@nashuatelegraph.com.thus are potentially eligible to receive Social Security benefits, as long as they don’t leave the country for more than 30 days at a time. The government alleges, however, that Ali Farhoumanzadeh was collecting disability benefits while living in Iran.

Ali and Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh also had New Hampshire driver’s licenses, DeSantis wrote, and they purported to live with their son in Windham. Social Security sent Ali Farhoumanzadeh a letter last year inviting his wife, Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh, to apply for retirement benefits, as she had turned 65. Her application was ultimately denied because she had never worked in the United States, DeSantis wrote.

Jalil Farhoumanzadeh then made an appointment for his mother to apply for disability benefits, DeSantis wrote.

Customs records showed that Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh had left the United States in September 2006, then returned in late April 2007. Her son had arranged an appointment on May 4, 2007, for her to apply for disability benefits at the Social Security office in Lawrence, Mass., DeSantis wrote. There, her son claimed she was living with him and hadn’t been out of the country for more than 30 days, he wrote. Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh returned to Iran on May 30, 2007, DeSantis wrote.

The government charges Farhoumanzadeh helped his father collect payments by falsely claiming his father lived with him at home and had traveled to Iran only briefly. In fact, the government claims, Ali Farhoumanzadeh lived in Iran for months and sometimes years at a time, and his SSI benefits were deposited into a bank account held jointly by him and his son.

Prosecutors at one point filed a charge against Ali Farhoumanzadeh, but later dropped it “without prejudice,” meaning they could renew the prosecution in the future. No charges have been filed against Fathemeh Farhoumanzadeh.