A man whose controversial fishing work was shown on reality television while getting disability benefits from the government was sentenced to four years in prison and on probation. Furthermore, the court ordered him to pay $58,600 in restitution and fines. Let’s Find out why Paul Hebert was arrested why he was sent to jail.
That’s not all; Paul Hebert, the Wicked Tuna star from Gloucester, Massachusetts, had to pay $53,600 in restitution, in addition to a fine of $5000 as part of an agreement by the prosecutors. The 57 -year-old reality TV star was charged in 2015 for accepting over $44,000 in Medicaid disability benefits and social security benefits from 2010 to 2013.
Why Was Paul Hebert from Wicked Tuna Arrested?
On the contrary, Paul Hebert appeared to be in great shape and health, although the government was disabled. However, he pleaded guilty to charges of Medicaid fraud and social security. He was arrested, and on Wednesday, he was sentenced to four years in prison by the federal court of Burlington.
The Department of Health and Human Services criticized Hebert’s actions for the move he made. According to the department, Paul Hebert was outrageous to pretend that he is poor and disabled to collect money from Medicaid benefits while at the same time making a lot of money as a captain of his boat in National Geographic’s show Wicked Tuna.
Herbert joined Nat Geo’s Wicked Tuna in 2012. He started to receive benefits in October of 2010. His benefits were stopped in 2013.
However, it is unclear if this is because he informed the government of his new job or if the government official caught him on the show. He said he was disabled and could not walk properly or work.
Now, Paul Herbert has to pay $58,000 to the government. Despite starring in the reality TV show and working on his TV fishing boat, Herbert still received $44,000 in Medicaid and disability payments from the government.
The Wicked Tuna show involves several Gloucester-based boats competing to look for land Blue Fin Tuna. The Tuna can weigh between 800 and 1000 pounds and may cost as much as $20,000.
On the other hand, the defense lawyer, Paul Volk, insisted Paul Herbert apply for the benefits before getting the job on the television show. So, the duo thinks it is a fair resolution to the issue. According to Volk, they negotiated, stating his probation was transferred to Massachusetts.
When Hebert fraud was discovered, prosecutors said that Herbert filed for Social Security in 2009’s spring. In the application, Paul Herbert claimed that he could not do any job.
On the reality TV show, Paul Herbert fishes for the bluefish tuna. Apart from fishing, Herbert also sells branded gear through his website. He further argues that he could not walk well and could not drive for more than short distances or lift heavy weights.
All in all, what Herbert did was against the law, so he had to face it.
