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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA : CRIMINAL NO.: _____________ : : VIOLATION: v. : : 18 U.S.C. § 641 (Theft of Government : Money) RALPH SINCAVAGE, : : 18 U.S.C. § 2 (Causing an Act to be Done) Defendant. : 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(C) & : 18 U.S.C. § 2461(c) (Criminal Forfeiture) INFORMATION The United States of America charges that: COUNT ONE At times material to this Information: 1. The Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) is an agency of the federal government. Among other responsibilities, OPM manages the Civil Service Retirement System (“CSRS”). CSRS benefits are afforded to federal employees known as “annuitants” upon retirement from federal service. An annuitant receives CSRS benefits throughout his lifetime based on his age, average salary, and length of federal service. Upon an annuitant’s death, CSRS benefits do not accrue to surviving children over 22 years of age. A survivor annuity is payable only to some spouses and some children under 22, and only upon OPM’s approval of an application from the eligible surviving family member. 2. The defendant, RALPH SINCAVAGE currently resides in Arlington, Virginia. RALPH SINCAVAGE’s date of birth is xx/xx/1946. RALPH SINCAVAGE is the son of Joseph Sincavage, Sr., who was born in 1910. Joseph Sincavage, Sr. died on March 16, 1992, in Havre De Grace, Maryland. RALPH SINCAVAGE is listed as the informant on the death certificate. Case 1:10-cr-00252-EGS Document 2 Filed 09/14/10 Page 1 of 5

Ralph Sincavage Information

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Federal charges against Ralph Sincavage, accused of pretending to be his late father to get hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits.

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Page 1: Ralph Sincavage Information

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURTFOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIAUNITED STATES OF AMERICA : CRIMINAL NO.: _____________:: VIOLATION:v. :: 18 U.S.C. § 641 (Theft of Government : Money)RALPH SINCAVAGE, :: 18 U.S.C. § 2 (Causing an Act to be Done)Defendant. : 18 U.S.C. § 981(a)(1)(C) &: 18 U.S.C. § 2461(c) (Criminal Forfeiture)INFORMATIONThe United States of America charges that:COUNT ONEAt times material to this Information: 1. The Office of Personnel Management (“OPM”) is an agency of the federalgovernment. Among other responsibilities, OPM manages the Civil Service Retirement System(“CSRS”). CSRS benefits are afforded to federal employees known as “annuitants” upon retirementfrom federal service. An annuitant receives CSRS benefits throughout his lifetime based on his age,average salary, and length of federal service. Upon an annuitant’s death, CSRS benefits do notaccrue to surviving children over 22 years of age. A survivor annuity is payable only to somespouses and some children under 22, and only upon OPM’s approval of an application from theeligible surviving family member.2. The defendant, RALPH SINCAVAGE currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.RALPH SINCAVAGE’s date of birth is xx/xx/1946. RALPH SINCAVAGE is the son of JosephSincavage, Sr., who was born in 1910. Joseph Sincavage, Sr. died on March 16, 1992, in Havre DeGrace, Maryland. RALPH SINCAVAGE is listed as the informant on the death certificate.

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According to the death certificate, Joseph Sincavage, Sr. and RALPH SINCAVAGE both residedat the same address in Aberdeen, Maryland at the time of the death of Joseph Sincavage, Sr.3. Before his death, Joseph Sincavage, Sr. received retirement annuity payments fromCSRS based on his prior service as a government truck driver. These payments were automaticallydeposited into a bank account. After Joseph Sincavage, Sr.’s death, RALPH SINCAVAGE did notnotify OPM of his father’s death. Instead, RALPH SINCAVAGE took steps to defraud OPM inorder to collect Joseph Sincavage, Sr.’s annuity – an annuity to which RALPH SINCAVAGE wasnot entitled.4. Before his death, Joseph Sincavage, Sr. also received health-care benefits throughOPM. On or about November 17, 1992, RALPH SINCAVAGE cancelled his father’s health-carebenefits by forging his father’s name on a Health Benefits Cancellation Confirmation form andmailing the form to OPM’s address in the District of Columbia. RALPH SINCAVAGE took thisaction in order to increase the dollar amount of the annuity; previously each annuity payment hadbeen reduced by the cost of Joseph Sincavage, Sr.’s health-care benefits.5. On or about January 1, 1993, OPM discovered the death of Joseph Sincavage, Sr. byexamining records of the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). On January 14, 1993, OPMflagged Joseph Sincavage, Sr. in OPM’s database as being deceased, and OPM halted the annuitypayments. On January 28, 1993, RALPH SINCAVAGE contacted OPM and pretended to be JosephSincavage, Sr. As a result of this phone call, OPM restored the annuity payments.6. On occasion, OPM mailed Address Verification Letters (“AVLs”) to annuitants inorder to verify that an annuitant was still alive and that OPM had the annuitant’s correct address onfile. In three instances – in 1993, 1995, and 2005 – RALPH SINCAVAGE forged his father’s

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signature on an AVL and falsely asserted that his father was still alive, then mailed the AVL toOPM’s address in the District of Columbia. Based on these certifications, OPM continued to paythe annuity, which RALPH SINCAVAGE collected. On several occasions, RALPH SINCAVAGEchanged the bank account to which the annuity was directly deposited.7. In or about October 2009, OPM again received information from SSA that JosephSincavage, Sr. was dead. At this time, the annuity was being deposited in a Navy Federal CreditUnion (“NFCU”) checking account belonging to RALPH SINCAVAGE. OPM notified NFCU, andNFCU contacted RALPH SINCAVAGE. On the next AVL, dated October 13, 2009, RALPHSINCAVAGE signed his correct name and wrote “survivor annuity,” although he knew that he wasnot entitled to such an annuity. Shortly thereafter, OPM halted the annuity payments.8. From April 1, 1992 to November 1, 2010, RALPH SINCAVAGE collected a totalof $335,882.45 in annuity payments to which he was not entitled.Theft of Government Money9. From on or about April 1992 to on or about November 2010, in the District ofColumbia, defendant RALPH SINCAVAGE wilfully and knowingly did steal and purloin money,in the form of annuity payments with a total value of $335,882.45, from an agency and departmentof the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 & 2.(Theft of Government Money, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 & 2).CRIMINAL FORFEITURE ALLEGATION1. The allegations set forth in Count One of this Information are re-alleged as thoughset forth fully herein and incorporated by reference for the purpose of alleging forfeiture to the

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United States of America pursuant to the provisions of Title 18, United States Code, Section981(a)(1)(C), and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c).2. As a result of the offense alleged in Count One of this Information, the defendant,RALPH SINCAVAGE, shall forfeit to the United States any and all property, real or personal,constituting, or derived from, proceeds obtained directly or indirectly, as the result of theft ofgovernment money, including, but not limited to:Money Judgment$335,882.45, which represents a sum of money constituting, orderived from, proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result oftheft of government money, in violation of Title 18, United StatesCode, Section 641.3. By virtue of the commission of the felony offense charged in Count One of thisInformation, any and all interest that RALPH SINCAVAGE has in the property constituting, orderived from, proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as the result of theft of government money,is vested in the United States and hereby forfeited to the United States pursuant to Title 18, UnitedStates Code, Section 981(a)(1)(C), and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c). If, as a resultof any act or omission of RALPH SINCAVAGE, the property identified above:a. cannot be located upon the exercise of due diligence;b. has been transferred or sold to, or deposited with, a third person;c. has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the Court;d. has been substantially diminished in value; or e. has been commingled with other property that cannot be subdivided withoutdifficulty;

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it is the intention of the United States, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section981(a)(1)(C), and Title 28, United States Code, Section 2461(c), and incorporating by referenceTitle 21, United States Code, Section 853(p), to seek forfeiture of any other property of saiddefendant up to the value of said property listed above as being subject to forfeiture.(Criminal Forfeiture, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 981(a)(1)(C)and Title 28 United States Code, Section 2461(c)). Respectfully submitted,RONALD C. MACHEN JR.United States AttorneyD.C. Bar No. 498610By: ___________/s/_________________________BRYAN SEELEYAssistant United States AttorneyD.C. Bar No. 501681555 4th Street, N.W., Room 5840Washington, D.C. 20530(202) [email protected]

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