PHILADELPHIA, PA — James Sessoms, 60, of Philadelphia, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday, April 29, before United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney to charges of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud, false statements in connection with health care benefits, and Social Security fraud.
Sessoms was charged in October 2024 with using stolen identities and Social Security numbers (SSNs) to fraudulently access government benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid. Prosecutors revealed that from November 2019 to November 2023, his scheme resulted in a total financial loss of $1,063,633 to federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS).
Court filings show that Sessoms created fictitious identities and used the valid SSNs of other individuals to file for benefits under false pretenses. He also submitted fraudulent driver’s licenses with his photograph and added fabricated family members, such as spouses and children, to applications in order to obtain higher benefit payouts. These fraudulent applications included falsified identification documents and birth certificates.
Through this scheme, Sessoms acquired SNAP cards, which he later sold for profit at a local supermarket, and Medicaid benefits distributed to him and the fabricated family members listed in his applications. The fraudulent activity spanned four years, leveraging federal funding provided jointly through the USDA and HHS.
Sessoms faces a maximum possible sentence of 90 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies, including the USDA Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, HHS Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.
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