Pennsylvania trucker indicted for driving while on disability

A Pennsylvania commercial motor vehicle operator has been arrested on charges related to the collection of more than $80,000 in disability benefits while concealing he was working a commercial motor vehicle driver.

Peter Albanese was arrested Dec. 8. The arrest comes after a Dec. 1 indictment of wire fraud, Social Security fraud and false statements in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania federal court.

Albanese is alleged to have defrauded the Social Security Administration by falsely representing he was disabled in order to obtain benefits, according to a news release from U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.

The indictment also alleges that Albanese presented a fraudulent medical examiner’s certificate during a federally regulated roadside inspection to conceal that he was not medically examined nor certified as required by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.

According to the charges, Albanese collected more than $80,000 in disability benefits while driving a commercial motor vehicle from 2017 through October 2020.

The U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General is conducting this investigation with Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General with assistance from the FMCSA. LL