CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A New Hampshire veteran has admitted he lied for 20 years about needing a wheelchair and claimed more than $660,000 in benefits he was never entitled to.
Christopher Stoltz, 49, of Antrim, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to one count of making false statements. When he is sentenced on May 6, he could be sentenced to up to five years in prison.
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Since early 2003, Stults has claimed to have lost the use of his legs, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has declared him 100% disabled and increased his monthly benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He was also given funds to buy and modify a special car.
NH veteran pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming benefits by lying about needing a wheelchair. (Fox News)
Prosecutors said Stolz was “surveilled multiple times” as he walked normally. Prosecutors said he was using a wheelchair inside the Boston Veterans Affairs Medical Center in 2021, but after leaving the room, he got up, picked up his wheelchair and put it in his car, then drove to a shopping mall and shopped at various stores. He said he walked around. He said he did something similar the following year after he retired from the Manchester VA Medical Center.
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Prosecutors said multiple witnesses testified for the past 20 years that they did not know Stolz used a wheelchair.
