North Shore Community College has fired the academic counselor sentenced to four months in prison for stealing his deceased father’s social security payments from taxpayers.
College spokeswoman Linda Brantley said Graeme Griffith, 60, Morton House, Phillips Academy, 23 School St., Andover, was initially placed on administrative leave in January after the Danvers-based college learned he had pled guilty to the charge. Griffith was “terminated shortly thereafter,” she told WHAV Friday.
U.S. District Court Senior Judge Mark L. Wolf sentenced Griffith April 16. The academic counselor, enrollment and student records, also paid full restitution of $149,285.
In 2003, Griffith’s father died, but his monthly Social Security benefits continued to be directly deposited into a joint bank account in his and his father’s names. From 2003 to 2014, Griffith continued to receive his deceased father’s benefits totaling $149,285.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Scott Antolik, special agent in charge of the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement Thursday. Griffith was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.
Good for North Shore Community College. They did the right thing, and set the right example for their students.