SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – Stavros Tsakonis, a 61-year-old man from Shirley, recently pleaded guilty to identity theft, grand larceny, and other related charges.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney, Tsakonis used the identity of his deceased brother, Chris Tsakonis, to work and receive disability benefits simultaneously.
From February 2015 to January, Tsakonis stole over $160,000 in disability benefits by falsely claiming to the U.S. Social Security Administration that he was unable to work due to a disability.
However, he was simultaneously earning income as a plumber under his deceased brother’s name. He was also found to have used his brother’s identity to obtain a driver’s license, register several vehicles, and even operate a plumbing business.
The charges came after an eight-month-long investigation by the Suffolk Sheriff’s Office Investigators and the District Attorney’s Office.