A former Yarmouth man has been sentenced to three years behind bars for lying to receive disability insurance benefits.

According to court documents, 53-year-old John Cavanaugh Jr. applied for disability insurance benefits for his son from the social security administration in November of 2016.

Cavanaugh said his son and son’s mother lived with him, but neither one did. He was also accused of writing a letter and forging the signature of his son’s mother to apply for disability insurance on his son’s behalf.

His son’s mother notified the Social Security administration in 2018 when she realized Cavanaugh was receiving the benefits.

A judge sentenced Cavanaugh on Friday to three years in prison and three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $244,000 in restitution.