A former northeast Arkansas police chief admitted in a federal court Monday that he illegally received disability benefits while gainfully employed as the head of a small-town police department.
Gerald Goza, 56, was hired in December 2017 to lead the Police Department in Egypt, a rural town in Craighead County, even though he had been telling the federal government that he physically was unable to stand or dress himself because of his physical disabilities and could not work, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Initially, Goza -- who pleaded guilty to the fraudulent activity on Monday -- was denied Social Security benefits, but he appealed the decision and eventually received compensation from the government. In August 2019, he filed more paperwork claiming he was unemployed even though he was working as Egypt's police chief, which included responding to domestic disturbance calls and administering sobriety tests to drivers suspected of driving while intoxicated, federal prosecutor Amanda Fields said.
The investigation also revealed that Goza was performing manual labor tasks for the town of Egypt, including mowing lawns and spreading gravel.
The indictment stated that Goza received more than $1,000 in Social Security benefits from August 2015 through January of this year.
In October 2019, an investigator with the office of the inspector general observed Goza working in his police uniform and at one point saw him lifting and carrying heavy objects, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
One month later, Goza was interviewed by investigators and he admitted that he needed the money "to support his family," Fields said.
Goza, who told U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky that he was currently working as a pastor, was indicted in March on one count of theft of government funds and two counts of making a false statement to the Social Security Administration. On Monday, he pleaded guilty to the first count in exchange for the government's dismissal of the other two charges.
Goza, donning a mask, concisely and politely answered the the judge's questions Monday afternoon.
The maximum penalty for theft of government funds is 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Goza's attorney, Molly Sullivan, told the judge that Goza was not a flight risk, had no criminal record and that he would be eligible for a penalty on the lower end of the sentencing guidelines -- up to six months in prison.
Rudofsky allowed Goza to remain free until he is sentenced. That hearing has not yet been scheduled.