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SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A Herriman man has been sentenced after he fraudulently obtained more than half a million dollars in disability benefits over 13 years, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
Robert Anthony Monsen, 49, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $561,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Medicare.
Monsen received $561,050.70 in federal funds — including Title II disability benefits, child auxiliary benefits, and Medicare claims — between September 2010 and November 2023, according to the attorney’s office.
“Mr. Monsen not only fraudulently obtained over half a million dollars from taxpayers, but he took benefits reserved from individuals who cannot work due to a severe medical condition,” U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins said.
After claiming a severe back injury impacted his ability to work, Monsen collected disability benefits from SSA and Medicare for 13 years. However, the attorney’s office said he continued to work several active jobs in various fields.
“During this time, Monsen concealed his income and functionality from SSA, in part by routing his paychecks through an LLC in another individual’s name,” the attorney’s office said.
Monsen also took several vacations in that time period, during which he was “snorkeling, enjoying the beach, and assisting fighters inside the ring at a mixed martial arts event,” according to the attorney’s office.
He received $1,981 per month in disability benefits until Nov. 2023, according to court documents. In the 13 years he received benefits, he did not report any improvements in his condition, despite an obligation to do so.
“Social Security disability insurance benefits are vital to individuals and their families who qualify to receive them,” Hannibal “Mike” Ware, the acting inspector general for SSA, said. “My office will continue to protect these essential benefits by pursuing perpetrators.”
Monsen pleaded guilty in September 2024 and was sentenced on Dec. 17, 2024. The Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit of the Social Security Administration investigated the case.