Yusuf Nuristani Convicted of Federal Welfare Fraud

According to a news release summary shared by the United States Department of Justice, Ahmad Yusuf Nurstani, Afghan senate, has been convicted of federal welfare fraud.

United States Department of Justice on Wednesday, December 11^th stated that Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani pleaded guilty in federal court to Theft of Public Money. According to the shared news release summary, Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani admitted that he received over $100,000 in government benefits by concealing foreign travel and residency between July 2015 and December 2018.

The summary further stated that during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford, Nuristani admitted that he applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration in July 2015. He further acknowledged that he knew an SSI recipient must reside within United States, and that he was required to report and travel outside of the United States lasting more than thirty days. United States Department of Justice maintained, “Nuristani admitted to concealing and repeatedly lying to the Social Security Administration about his foreign travel and residency, and to receiving $27,492.44 in SSI payments and to causing a loss of $73,090.34 to the State of California for health care payments and services as a result of his fraud.”

Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani is a former Fulbright Scholar and he has been a prominent politician in Afghanistan for many decades. He has previously served as the governor of Herat province, and was the chairman of the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan during the last presidential election.