Matawan Man Convicted Of $585,000 Social Security Disability Scam

MATAWAN, NJ — A Matawan man was convicted of defrauding the Social Security Administration, saying he could not work or bend down for years — while in reality he was taking international ski trips, said U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer.

On March 5, a federal jury found Steven D. Stankovits, 57, of Matawan, guilty of four counts of wire fraud and one count of making false statements to the Social Security Administration.

In May 2010, Stankovits was found eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits, and he received benefits retroactive to 2007. In total, the U.S. Social Security Administration paid him more than $585,000 in disability benefits.

However, federal prosecutors say Stankovits lied, including saying he was unable to work, could not comfortably sit for more than 15 minutes, could not bend down to put on his clothes, struggled to lift a carton of milk and had been forced to give up skiing.

In reality, Stankovits went skiing in Cortina, Italy, Lake Tahoe, and Park City, Utah, and purchased a season ski pass in Killington, Vermont during that 15-year period he received the half a million dollars in disability benefits.

He also worked as a licensed funeral director at two different funeral homes. Stankovits’s work included gardening, shoveling snow, carrying 160-pound caskets down a flight of stairs, climbing a ladder onto the roof to install a sign, which the feds say all prove he had the physical ability to work.

He is facing up to 20 years in prison at sentencing. Here is the federal indictment against him: content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDOJUSAO/2026/03/27/file_attachments/3598578/Stankovits.Indictment.pdf

“For nearly 15 years, Steven Stankovits exploited the Social Security Administration’s disability insurance program,” said Frazer. “By repeatedly lying about his work and physical disability, Stankovits collected more than half a million dollars in fraudulent benefits. This conviction sends a clear message: those who lie to obtain government benefits will be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice.”