Manatee County man faces felony charge after $34k disability fraud, deputies say

A Manatee County man is accused of fraudulently collecting thousands in disability benefits while working but telling his insurer he was unemployed, according to the sheriff’s office.

Willie Nathan Young Sr., 38, is charged with scheme to defraud involving between $20,000 and $50,000, a second-degree felony. If convicted, Young faces up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine under Florida law.

An attorney representing Young did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.

According to an arrest report, Young stopped working toward the end of 2019 after reporting a leg injury and began receiving long-term disability benefits. The arrest report alleges Young received roughly $34,000 in disability payments that he was not entitled to after investigators calculated overpayments using payroll records and the policy’s benefit formula.

Investigators allege Young failed to disclose that he was actively running his business, Blessed Movers LLC, while collecting benefits, despite the policy requiring him to report any earnings.

According to the arrest report, Young signed multiple forms stating he was not employed while continuing to receive the insurance payouts. However, while under surveillance, investigators said they witnessed Young moving heavy objects and assisting with other moving activities despite the leg injury.

During an interview with detectives, Young admitted he had not reported income from the moving company to the insurance company despite receiving letters reminding him that he had to report any employment or earnings, according to investigators.

The insurer later determined Young’s earnings exceeded the limits allowed under the policy and that his disability claim should have been closed because he no longer met the policy’s “definition of disability,” investigators wrote.

Deputies arrested Young on a fraud charge before he was later released after posting a $10,000 bond, according to court records. He has since pleaded not guilty.

Young is next scheduled to appear in court for a hearing at the Manatee County Judicial Center on Sept. 3 before Circuit Judge Guy Flowers, court records show.

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