ST. LOUIS COUNTY FOSSIL COMPANY OPERATOR ACCUSED OF DISABILITY FRAUD

The following information was released by the U.S. Department of Justice:

The owner of a fossil replica company was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently seeking disability benefits.

Scott A. Taylor, 50, is still on probation from a prior disability fraud case. The new indictment, on one count of making a false statement, accuses him of applying for Social Security disability benefits on Jan. 28, 2026, claiming that he had not worked since 1993. The indictment says Taylor has been self-employed since 2014.

A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Taylor's disability benefits were initially discontinued after an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Taylor pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to one felony count of theft of government money. He admitted opening Taylor Made Fossils, which made fossil recreations, after having been granted disability benefits. Taylor's plea agreement says that while he repeatedly falsely claimed to be too disabled to work or perform many normal daily activities, he carried large or heavy objects, did yard work and walked normally while unassisted. On Dec. 9, 2025, he was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $106,923 to the Social Security Administration.

Department of Justice efforts support President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.

The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting the case.