Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Social Security And Wire Fraud

Defendant was hired as cardiac surgical technologist after falsifying employment documents, work history, references

A Georgia man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Springfield in connection with his submission of a fraudulent application for employment at a Western Massachusetts hospital.

Fabrizio I. Pluchino, a/k/a “Fabrizio Pulchino,” 56, pleaded guilty to one count of using a falsely obtained Social Security number and one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for Oct. 8, 2019.  Pluchino was arrested and charged federally in November 2018 and has been in custody since.

Pluchino was assigned a Social Security number in 1988 and subsequently falsely obtained two additional Social Security numbers in 1991 and 2000, respectively. Around November 2013, Pluchino used one of his falsely obtained Social Security numbers on pre-employment documents when he applied to be a cardiac surgical technologist at a Western Massachusetts hospital. He also falsely represented his work history and provided two false employment references. As a result, the hospital hired Pluchino for the position and paid Pluchino more than $190,000 in wages during his employment.

The charge of use of a falsely obtained Social Security number provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office; and Scott Antolik, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Lelling’s Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.