Morris County Surgeon Accused of Stealing Social Security From Son

A retired Chatham plastic surgeon has been charged with stealing social security benefits from his disabled son, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Richard H. McShane, 78, was arrested this morning and charged by complaint with one count of theft of government funds and four counts of wire fraud.

McShane is accused of stealing more than $80,000 in social security benefits from his son, who is severely disabled after suffering a brain injury in a 2004 car accident that killed his mother, according to United States Attorney Paul Fishman. His son suffered permanent injuries, including partial paralysis in his upper and lower extremities, as a result of the car accident.

Court documents allege that between 2005 and 2012, McShane falsely claimed his son lived with him in the United States, when his son actually lived with his grandparents in Ukraine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The Social Security Administration sent McShane monthly payment between $606 and $1,069, intended to be used for his son’s care. Court documents further allege that the grandparents in Ukraine, who provided care for the child, received little or no financial assistance from McShane since 2005.

McShane faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the theft of government funds charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the wire fraud charges.