A Long Island man has been accused of collecting disability payments while simultaneously competing in weightlifting competitions, and posting fitness content to social media, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Tuesday.Raymond Phillips, 40, was arrested this month after an investigation found that he allegedly collected more than $100,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) from 2021 to 2024, according to a statement from the attorney general's office.In a press release announcing the charges, the attorney general’s office included three photos from 2023 that appeared to show Phillips bench pressing and squatting.Phillips was able to receive disability payments by claiming a weightlifting injury prevented him from working, the attorney general's office said.WATCH: DR.OZ SAYS NEWSOM, OTHER BLUE STATES HAVE TURNED MEDICAID FRAUD INTO A 'FEATURE'Raymond Phillips appears to perform a squat at a 2023 weightlifting competition in a photo provided by the New York Attorney General's Office.
(New York Attorney General's Office)"Raymond Phillips shamelessly collected benefits meant for disabled New Yorkers while boasting his weightlifting achievements on social media," James said in a statement."My office has no tolerance for fraudsters who cheat the system and steal from programs that are a lifeline for New Yorkers in need."According to the attorney general's office, Phillips filed paperwork with the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) in August 2018 claiming he injured his dominant arm that June from weightlifting.New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a church service as part of the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators 55th annual legislative conference at the Albany Capital Center on Feb.
15, 2026.(Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)FTC CHIEF ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF 'TRYING TO PROTECT THE FRAUDSTERS' BY WITHHOLDING DA...