HUNTINGTON, NY — A Huntington man has been accused of fraudulently collecting about $100,000 in Social Security disability benefits while competing in weightlifting events and advertising himself as a personal trainer, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday.
Raymond Phillips, 40, was arrested and indicted on grand larceny and false filing charges following an investigation by the attorney general’s office, James said.
Prosecutors say Phillips claimed that injuries he sustained while lifting weights in June 2018 left him unable to work or perform routine daily activities without assistance.
Phillips submitted paperwork to the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance in August 2018 stating that injuries to his dominant arm required surgery and prevented him from working in any capacity, according to the attorney general’s office.
The Social Security Administration approved his disability application in May 2021, with benefits retroactive to 2018, prosecutors said.
Phillips collected about $100,000 in benefits between May 2021 and December 2024, according to the attorney general’s office.
Investigators said that during the same period, Phillips posted photographs and videos on Facebook and Instagram showing him lifting heavy weights and participating in competitions.
The posts allegedly included footage of Phillips bench pressing and squatting at the American Pro competition in 2023, despite his claims that he could not lift his left arm and struggled to squat, bend or stand, prosecutors said.
Phillips also advertised a personal training business, according to the attorney general’s office.
Phillips continued asserting that he qualified for disability benefits during hearings and in written reports through October 2025, prosecutors said.
He was charged with second-degree grand larceny, a Class C felony, and two counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing, Class E felonies.
Phillips was arraigned Tuesday in Suffolk County Supreme Court. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the top charge, according to the attorney general’s office.
Steven Alan Metcalf II, Phillips’ defense attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.
“Raymond Phillips shamelessly collected benefits meant for disabled New Yorkers while boasting his weightlifting achievements on social media,” James said. “My office has no tolerance for fraudsters who cheat the system and steal from programs that are a lifeline for New Yorkers in need.”
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