A former Haverhill man pleaded guilty last week in federal court in Boston to receiving stolen Social Security disability benefits over a period of more than five years.
Christopher D. Leon pleaded guilty to receiving stolen government money or property. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Sept. 23. Leon was charged in May and pleaded guilty June 10.
Prosecutors say 56-year-old Leon received about $87,817 in stolen Social Security disability benefits between November 2019 and August 2025. According to court records, Leon lived with an applicant for Social Security disability benefits at the time of her death. After her death, the Social Security Administration mailed a notice of approved benefits to Leon’s address. Once Social Security began to be paid via direct deposit to the deceased woman’s bank account, Leon used the person’s debit card to make ATM cash withdrawals each month.