A Georgia woman wo n’t go to prison after she was convicted of , stealing more than$ 130, 000 , in Social Security benefits meant for her father, who died in 2006, federal prosecutors said.
Before and after her husband’s death, both before and after she was made his recipient by the Social Security Administration in 2004, according to court records. Both of her husband’s retirement benefits were transferred to her debit card.
According to her prosecution, the Atlanta lady maintained that her papa was still alive on annual recipient forms that were submitted to the SSA for almost 20 years.
She wrote the money was spent on “his care and support” on every shape, according to the indictment.
According to lawyers, she admitted that her parents had passed away and that she had made false statements during an interview with SSA authorities in March 2023.
But, according to the prosecution, she was not entirely true because she lied about a Social Security staff telling her a rest” so that she could continue to receive the benefits she falsely claimed were income benefits from a personal pension account.”
The woman, 66, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay$ 130, 182.90 after she pleaded guilty to theft of government funds in March, the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a July 12 news release.
The initial 90 times of her probation may be served on home confinement, prosecutors said.
On July 15, McClatchy News ‘ request for comment was delayed by her defense attorney.
Another Atlanta person sentenced
In a split case, a person also accused of stealing her son’s Social Security benefits, following his death in September 2009, was convicted of theft of government finances in March, prosecutors said.
According to her accusation, the 55-year-old Atlanta native lied about her brother’s existence and lied about taking his disability benefits, which were later converted to retirement benefits in 2015.
According to the indictment, the woman claimed on monthly investigating claims that she had saved a few hundred dollars for him and that she had spent thousands on his” care and support” each year as the robbery continued.
She stole virtually$ 140, 000 gains meant for her brother in full, according to the U. S. Attorney’s office.
On July 15, McClatchy News ‘ request for comment was delayed by her defense attorney.
According to the prosecution, the girl was given a four-year probation sentence and a$ 139,656.00 fine.
She will offer the first six weeks of her parole on home confinement, according to prosecutors.
Both Atlanta people” choose to believe the role of acting on behalf of loved ones as the beneficiaries of their friend’s Social Security benefits,” according to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan in a speech.
Then they knowingly and unjustly continued to receive these federal funds to which they were no entitled, he said,” and they concealed the incidents of their friends.”
Suspected , Social Security fraud , may be reported net to the SSA Office of the Inspector General or the OIG’s scam line by calling 1-800-269-0271.
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