Morris Co. Postal Worker Got $155K In Disability While Working Another Job: Feds

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Morris County woman was charged with fraud and making false statements after she collected disability benefits while secretly working another job, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

Pamela VanSyckle, 60, of Oak Ridge, is charged by complaint with one count of federal employee compensation fraud and one count of making false statements.

VanSyckle made her initial appearance before U.S Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte on Wednesday and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

VanSyckle works for the U.S. Postal Service as a rural carrier and on September 2020, signed and filed a claim form alleging that she sustained an injury at work, according to court documents.

As a result of that injury, VanSyckle claimed that she was unable to carry out her duties as a mail carrier.

She received disability benefits from September 2020 to September 2023, and signed and filed multiple federal claim forms alleging that she had not worked or had outside employment, according to court docs.

Based on those claim submissions, VanSyckle received over $155,000 in disability benefits from the federal government.

During the time in which she received disability benefits, VanSyckle was in fact working as the owner and operator of a travel agency, authorities said.

At that job, VanSyckle performed a variety of services for the travel agency including handling sales, marketing and financial operations.

The fraud and false statement charges each carry a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain that any persons derived from the offense, whichever is greater.

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