A 50-year-old Jamaican man was on Thursday sentenced to 12 months in a United States prison for using fake social security numbers to receive health benefits for himself and his family.

Marvel Johnson, who was residing in Derby, Connecticut, had pleaded guilty to making false statements in health care matters.

In addition to his prison sentence, the Jamaican was also ordered to pay restitution of US$150,380.83 by US District Judge Jeffrey A Meyer.

Johnson was released on a US$50,000 bond, and is required to report to prison on December 1. On completion of his sentence, he will undergo three years of supervised release.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut reported that court documents and statements made in court revealed that between 2008 and 2010, Johnson used false social security numbers to enroll and maintain that enrollment in the Connecticut Medicaid healthcare benefits programme known as “Husky”.

By November 2015, the Jamaican provided false social security numbers in an attempt to receive retroactive insurance coverage for his then recently-born son after contacting Access Health CT, an agency responsible for administering Medicaid/Husky enrollment for Connecticut.

Johnson did not receive the retroactive coverage for his son, but he and his family continued to remain enrolled in Husky.

Following a verification request by Access Health CT for a citizenship document in 2018, Johnson mailed a false New Jersey birth certificate bearing his name.

However, he was, in fact, born in Jamaica, the US Attorney’s Office said.

Johnson was subsequently arrested on November 19, 2020, and later charged.