South Carolina Man Claimed He Lived in Medford to Bilk Government

A man working for the Department of Energy in South Carolina lied about living at two Medford addresses to collect government benefits, according to federal court documents.

Anthony Cunningham, 56, lied about having a home at 94 Fredricks Ave. and later 123 Forest St. in Medford while working on a Department of Energy project in South Carolina in 2009 and 2010, according to a federal indictment.

The claims were filed on per diem benefits forms Cunningham submitted through a Department of Energy program funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the indictment, filed in May, said.

Cunningham collected about $26,000 by lying on the forms, according to South Carolina TV station WISTV. He was working at the Savannah River Site, a Department of Energy-funded project in South Carolina, WISTV reports.

Cunningham faces one count of embezzlement and four counts of issuing false statements, according to the indictment.

He initially pled not guilty, but struck a plea agreement in July and formally entered a guilty plea in Federal Court in South Carolina Tuesday, a court docket indicates. A sentencing date has not yet been set.