WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A man from Washington, D.C. pleaded guilty Saturday to wire fraud and possessing a firearm.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) of D.C. said in a news release that 71-year-old Geary Simon got $38,560 from the D.C. program Stronger Together by Assisting You D.C. (STAY DC), which gave D.C. residents financial assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Court filings showed that Simon applied to the program in June 2021. He said that he was renting a property on H Street, NW from his landlord, “Robert Sutton,” and that he owed “Sutton” $72,000. He provided a phone number and email for “Sutton” as well.
“All of these statements were materially false and misleading. Simon was not a ‘tenant’ at that address; ‘Robert Sutton’ was not Simon’s landlord; Simon did not owe ‘Robert Sutton’ the sum of $72,000 in unpaid rent; and the phone number and email address that Simon provided for ‘Robert Sutton’ were actually for a phone number and email account that Simon created and controlled. Unaware of the fraud, DC-DHS granted Simon’s application for funding and issued Simon a check in the amount of $38,560 that DC-DHS would not otherwise have approved,” the USAO’s news release said.
Prosecutors said that Simon then used that money to pay his children’s private school tuition and to pay for child support.
While executing a search warrant, officials also found two firearms in Simon’s house. The USAO said that Simon has at least two prior felony convictions, thus prohibiting him from owning any firearms. One of those prior convictions was also for carrying a pistol without a license.
Simon faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison for his wire fraud charge and 15 years in prison for possessing firearms illegally.
His sentencing is scheduled for April 11, 2025.
