Washington man faked retardation to collect Social Security benefits

[RobertSeattle]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420AP_WA_Faked_Retardation.html

TACOMA, Wash. -- For nearly 20 years - ever since Pete Costello was 8 - his mother has collected disability benefits on his behalf. In meetings with Social Security officials and psychologists, he appeared mentally retarded and unable to communicate. His mother insisted he couldn't read or write, shower, take care of himself or drive a car.

But now prosecutors say it was all a huge fraud, and they have video of Costello contesting a traffic ticket to prove it.

"He's like any other person trying to get out of a traffic ticket," Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman Barbosa said Tuesday.

Pete and Rosie Marie Costello were indicted

(more at link)

[Dora]

1. I want to know how these two fraudsters vote. n/t

[trotsky]

7. Wouldn't we all.

A couple my wife knows are staunch Republicans, avid haters of anything that might be considered welfare, or even a bit of help.

EXCEPT for the unemployment/disability the husband collects, of course, despite being perfectly capable of doing any number of jobs, and in particular the job he supposedly is disabled from (repairing snowmobiles) which he currently does at home for himself, his family, and friends on the side.

[Selatius]

12. Unemployment insurance only lasts 26 weeks, though.

Unless he is on SSDI, in which case he gets a check until somebody finds out he's defrauding the gov't out of money.

If he was fired from his last job instead of being laid off, then he shouldn't collect any unemployment insurance at all, since employers pay into the insurance fund, and his employer can contest his collecting any benefit. The only people eligible for UI are those who were laid-off through no fault of their own.

[jgraz]

2. Washington D.C. man faked retardation to collect Presidential Salary

Actually, we're still not sure whether he was faking or not...

[originalpckelly]

3. ROFL!!!

:rofl:

[RobertSeattle]

5. Texas Man fakes being a Christian to get Fundie Vote

Wyoming Oilman fakes having a heart to get elected President

[malaise]

10. I was about to post this same thought

Kudos!! :D

[Bjorn Against]

4. The right-wingers love to grab on to these stories...

People who pull this kind of crap really hurt the people who truly do need the welfare benefits.

I can guarantee you this story will get a lot of play on the freeper sites because they know they can try and portray all welfare recipients as being like this guy. It is basically a blame-the-victim attitude, but the freepers would never be able to sleep at night if they could not blame the innocent for something some con-artist did.

[RobertSeattle]

6. What's so frustraing about these con artists

Is that they are probably smart enough to have real jobs and make a decent living, but they CHOOSE to do it the illegal way.

[Bunny]

8. I have trouble understanding how he ever qualified for SS benefits.

When determining if someone has a disability, they don't normally take the parents' word for it, or even base their conclusion just on observation of behaviors. This boy would have undergone a battery of tests, administered by psychologists, to determine IQ, functioning level, etc. Mental retardation involves an IQ or 70 or less, this is factual data that really cannot be faked.

Someone at SS screwed up, is my opinion. BTW, I know of someone who is diagnosed with mental retardation - this person has a valid driver's license and drives their own car.

[Mabus]

9. They may not be voters

There are a lot of people out there who don't register to vote or pay attention to politics.

We've got two neighbors who are rabid-RWingers but they don't vote nor are they even registered). We can hear Faux News blaring from their house whenever we walk by. When the weather's nice, they open their windows and let the sounds of FNC cascade out of their house for all to hear.

[Selatius]

11. The Repubs will use it as an excuse to gut Social Security Disability Insurance.

Watch, you're going to see a the far-right clamp onto stories like this and use it as a cause celebre in their war on social programs.

[gollygee]

14. You're right

classic right-wing logic. One person takes advantage of it, THEREFORE no one really needs it. :crazy:

[ComerPerro]

13. anyone know what name he posts under at Free Republic yet?

[mondo joe]

15. Hey, I saw that on Just Shoot Me

[Geoff R. Casavant]

16. Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot

Chicken Pot . . . Piiiiiiie!

First thing I thought of too.