Prosecutor: Man collected dad's Social Security for 29 years after he died, stealing $243K

Authorities say a New Jersey man collected his father's Social Security benefits for 29 years after he died, stealing more than $243,000.

Nicholas Severino Jr. was indicted Monday on a theft charge. The 62-year Paulsboro man could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Acting Attorney General John Hoffman says Severino's father had worked a second job using a false name and obtained a second Social Security number using that name.

Hoffman says after the father died in April 1984, Severino continued to collect benefits paid in connection with that false identity.

The Social Security Administration stopped paying benefits in August 2013 after the agency tried unsuccessfully to locate Severino's father.