Ex-Long Island Resident Pleads Guilty To Fraudulently Claiming Disability

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — A former Huntington resident on Tuesday pleaded guilty to fraudulently collecting more than $200,000 in disability benefits from the Social Security Administration, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced.

Anthony Ragusa, 52, who moved from Huntington to Fort Myers, Florida, claimed he was unable to work and perform daily activities as a result of injuries caused by a 2013 fall, the office of the attorney general said. While collecting disability benefits, Ragusa was still the president and owner of WhiteStar Limousine — where he continued to earn income — and an avid weightlifter, officials said, citing photos and videos of him lifting heavy weights posted to social media.

Ragusa lied to the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance from 2013 to 2020, prosecutors said.

“Disability benefits are a vital necessity for the New Yorkers who rely on those resources to help them live their lives,” James said in a news release. “Anthony Ragusa swindled taxpayers by claiming the benefits for himself, but was caught in his fraudulent scheme when his wife posted bodybuilding photos of him online. His illegal and shameful actions are an insult to those who actually live with disabilities, and I will always take action to bring fraudsters like Ragusa to justice on behalf of the people.”

Ragusa pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny, a class C felony. He was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and will be on probation for five years. If Ragusa fails to complete his restitution on the sentencing date, he will face one to three years in prison.

Ragusa applied for disability benefits in 2013, according to filings from the attorney general's office and statements made by prosecutors. On his application, Ragusa said that his injuries from a fall as an electrician were so severe that he had difficulty bending over to put on shoes, walking for more than 15 minutes, and sitting for more than 30 minutes, authorities said. Ragusa also said that the pain from his injuries prevented him from working in any capacity, prosecutors said.

Extensive photo and video evidence from Ragusa’s wife’s Instagram account showed that, beginning in 2017, Ragusa began a physical transformation into a bodybuilder, the AG's office said. Social media posts showed Ragusa lifting heavy weights and training for bodybuilding competitions, often at Bev Francis gym, known as “The Mecca” for bodybuilders, officials said.

At the time of Ragusa's fall, he was the president and owner of the WhiteStar Limousine company in New Hyde Park, documents from the state Department of Transportation and minutes from a 2012 town hearing showed.

From January 2015 to 2020, in hearings and written reports to determine his disability eligibility, Ragusa maintained his disability benefits eligibility despite continuing to run a business and lift weights, prosecutors said.

“For several years, Mr. Ragusa feigned his disability to fraudulently obtain over $200,000 in Social Security benefits, while managing his limousine business and a bodybuilding campaign," said Gail S. Ennis, inspector general for the Social Security Administration. "His admission holds him accountable for his deception and theft."