Bridgeport Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Scheme that Defrauded Social Security Administration

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Connecticut

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TROVOY DIXON, 31, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for laundering criminal proceeds of a scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration.

 According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2021, unidentified fraudsters engaged in a scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA) using stolen identities.  The fraudsters would contact the SSA posing as legitimate Social Security recipients, often presenting the SSA with confidential personal information, like Social Security numbers and dates of birth, to validate their purported identities.  They would then instruct the SSA to change the legitimate SSA recipients’ existing bank account deposit information so that monthly SSA payments would be deposited into bank accounts controlled by scheme participants.

In approximately August 2021, Dixon was contacted by phone by a scheme participant using a Jamaican based telephone number and was asked if he wished to make money through moving money.  Dixon agreed, and was instructed to open bank accounts that he would control.  After monies generated from the scheme were deposited into Dixon’s online bank accounts, he would withdraw cash from the accounts and use commercial money transfer services to wire a portion of the cash to designated bank accounts in either Jamaica or Mexico.  Dixon learned the monies were illegally obtained, but ultimately kept close to half of the monies for his personal use.

Between August 2021 and July 2023, more than $360,000 was deposited into bank accounts Dixon controlled.  When accounts were closed due to suspicious fraudulent withdrawal activity, Dixon opened additional accounts to continue his illegal activity.

Judge Oliver ordered Dixon to pay $161,000 in restitution.

On March 8, 2024, Dixon pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering.  Dixon who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on July 29.

This investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.