Dayton man charged in relation to Social Security fraud, church theft incidents

DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF/WRGT) -- A Dayton man was charged Monday by a federal grand jury with Social Security Fraud and for making false statements related to church theft.

Charles Edward Severt, Jr., 51, following his arrest over the weekend, has been charged with stealing over $370,000 in Social Security disability benefits as well as with making false statements regarding a $20,000 theft from a Xenia church. Court documents say that while applying for disability benefits, Severt claimed he had not worked since 2010 as the result of a shooting. However, it is alleged that Severt has been working in the tree trimming business since at least 2014.

Court documents also allege that Severt stated under oath that his license as an investment advisor was suspended for not reporting income from flipping houses. They also allege that he was banned for life by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for the $20,000 church theft.

Severt is potentially facing up to 15 years in prison, as fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and making false statements to the federal government carries a potential maximum penalty of five years in prison.