The Social Security Administration’s office at 8000 Southpark Ln. in Littleton.
According to federal prosecutors, the preschooler Sloan Murphy has a lot in common with a toddler named Jim Preston and an infant by the name of Danny Sano.
Namely, that they don’t exist.
Justin Skiff, a 36-year-old Castle Pines man who does exist, is accused of inventing them. Skiff was charged Monday with federal felony counts of wire fraud, money laundering and Social Security fraud. He faces up to 45 years in prison and as much as $1 million in fines.
Sonia Dave, a special assistant U.S. attorney in Denver, says in an indictment that Skiff worked as a claims specialist in the Littleton office of the Social Security Administration.
In that role, he is accused of stealing $324,201 from the SSA and Internal Revenue Service between August 2019 and September 2021 by creating Social Security numbers for 10 children who don’t exist and then awarding the fictitious children monthly benefits from actual deceased people after listing the children as descendants, according to Monday’s indictment.
The monthly payout Skiff received for each fictitious child ranged from $1,700 to $2,300, in addition to back payments worth as much as $18,000, according to federal prosecutors. Skiff is also accused of awarding economic stimulus payments totaling $13,600 to the accounts.
The money was sent to prepaid debit cards, as is common when Social Security beneficiaries do not have bank accounts. In half of the 10 cases, Skiff is accused of appointing a real person, identified only as “M.R.B.,” to receive payments for the children. In the other five cases, he is accused of appointing a fictitious person and taking the money directly.
The indictment claims that Skiff either made up the 10 children’s names “or took (them) from popular culture.” The second fictitious kid he allegedly invented was named Jian Yang, a character on the HBO sitcom “Silicon Valley.” The fifth was Jack Donaghy, the name of Alec Baldwin’s character on the former NBC sitcom “30 Rock.”
There was also Elle Woods (No. 6), who shares a name with the protagonist of the “Legally Blonde” movies, and Luke Dunphy (No. 9), a character from “Modern Family.” The final fake child was Lisa Bouvier, a name Lisa Simpson once used on “The Simpsons.”
Skiff does not have an attorney, according to court records, and contact information for him was not available Tuesday. He has not been arrested and will not be detained pending trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which chose not to have him jailed.
Prosecutors may be complicating his romantic relationship though. Court records show they’ve seized a diamond engagement ring, believing it was bought with ill-gotten gains.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Money laundering could also result in a 20-year sentence, along with a $500,000 fine. The Social Security fraud charge carries a maximum of five years and $250,000 fine.
The Social Security Administration’s office at 8000 Southpark Ln. in Littleton.
According to federal prosecutors, the preschooler Sloan Murphy has a lot in common with a toddler named Jim Preston and an infant by the name of Danny Sano.
Namely, that they don’t exist.
Justin Skiff, a 36-year-old Castle Pines man who does exist, is accused of inventing them. Skiff was charged Monday with federal felony counts of wire fraud, money laundering and Social Security fraud. He faces up to 45 years in prison and as much as $1 million in fines.
Sonia Dave, a special assistant U.S. attorney in Denver, says in an indictment that Skiff worked as a claims specialist in the Littleton office of the Social Security Administration.
In that role, he is accused of stealing $324,201 from the SSA and Internal Revenue Service between August 2019 and September 2021 by creating Social Security numbers for 10 children who don’t exist and then awarding the fictitious children monthly benefits from actual deceased people after listing the children as descendants, according to Monday’s indictment.
The monthly payout Skiff received for each fictitious child ranged from $1,700 to $2,300, in addition to back payments worth as much as $18,000, according to federal prosecutors. Skiff is also accused of awarding economic stimulus payments totaling $13,600 to the accounts.
The money was sent to prepaid debit cards, as is common when Social Security beneficiaries do not have bank accounts. In half of the 10 cases, Skiff is accused of appointing a real person, identified only as “M.R.B.,” to receive payments for the children. In the other five cases, he is accused of appointing a fictitious person and taking the money directly.
The indictment claims that Skiff either made up the 10 children’s names “or took (them) from popular culture.” The second fictitious kid he allegedly invented was named Jian Yang, a character on the HBO sitcom “Silicon Valley.” The fifth was Jack Donaghy, the name of Alec Baldwin’s character on the former NBC sitcom “30 Rock.”
There was also Elle Woods (No. 6), who shares a name with the protagonist of the “Legally Blonde” movies, and Luke Dunphy (No. 9), a character from “Modern Family.” The final fake child was Lisa Bouvier, a name Lisa Simpson once used on “The Simpsons.”
Skiff does not have an attorney, according to court records, and contact information for him was not available Tuesday. He has not been arrested and will not be detained pending trial, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which chose not to have him jailed.
Prosecutors may be complicating his romantic relationship though. Court records show they’ve seized a diamond engagement ring, believing it was bought with ill-gotten gains.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Money laundering could also result in a 20-year sentence, along with a $500,000 fine. The Social Security fraud charge carries a maximum of five years and $250,000 fine.
