A 72-year-old Anchorage man will pay more than $500,000 in restitution in a plea deal over fraud charges accusing him of lying about his birth year and serving in Vietnam to get benefits.
William Joe Westfall entered guilty pleas to charges of passport fraud, health care benefits fraud, false statements related to health care benefits and Social Security benefits fraud, according to a plea agreement last month.
He will pay more than $518,000 in restitution for benefits he received over time linked to fraudulent claims, according to a release Monday from the Alaska U.S. Attorney’s Office. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, though any prison time will be determined at sentencing.
Westfall in 2016 applied for a U.S. passport and falsely stated that his birth year was 1941, enabling him to receive additional Medicare and Social Security benefits, federal prosecutors say. He also submitted false military claims including serving in Vietnam and being exposed to Agent Orange, which enabled him to receive more than $330,000 in benefits to which he was not entitled.