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The following was taken from a press release distributed by the United States Attorney’s Office – Northern District of Georgia on July 12, 2024:
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – Teresa Carter and Sharon Crowder have been sentenced for theft of government funds for their unlawful receipt of Social Security benefits intended for relatives, who died years earlier.
“Carter and Crowder chose to assume the responsibility of acting on behalf of loved ones as the recipients of their relative’s Social Security benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Then they concealed the deaths of their relatives and knowingly and unlawfully continued to receive these government funds to which they were not entitled. The defendants’ prosecution and sentence should place others on notice that stealing money from the government and taxpayers is a serious offense.”
“As representative payees, these defendants had a responsibility to report the death of the beneficiary, rather they falsified information to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and wrongfully converted funds to their own use, which is a crime. These sentences demonstrate that we will continue to investigate representative payees who misappropriate funds issued by the SSA,” said Rodregas W. Owens, Special Agent in Charge, SSA Office of the Inspector General, Atlanta Field Division. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane C. Schulman for their work in this case.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Teresa Carter was the representative payee for her father’s Social Security benefits. As the representative payee, she was required to spend all of his monthly benefits on his behalf and submit annual reporting statements to the SSA that documented any changes in his condition.
Carter’s father died on July 17, 2006. Rather than report his death to the SSA, Carter continued to submit annual reporting statements to the SSA in which she falsely stated that her father was still alive.
In March 2023, when SSA investigators interviewed Carter, she admitted that her father had died and that she had submitted false statements after his death to continue to receive the benefits. But she falsely claimed that a Social Security employee told her to lie on the annual reporting form so that she could continue to receive the benefits which she falsely claimed were pension benefits from a private pension fund. In total, Carter stole over $130,000 in government funds.
Sharon Crowder acted as the representative payee for her brother’s Social Security benefits. Her brother died on September 10, 2009.
Like Carter, Crowder did not report her brother’s death to the SSA. Instead, she submitted annual reporting statements to the SSA in which she falsely stated that her brother was still alive.
When confronted by investigators in August 2023 about this deception, Crowder admitted that she submitted the false statements to the SSA and spent the funds knowing that she was not entitled to receive them. In total, Crowder stole more than $139,000 in government benefits.
Teresa Carter, 66, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown two years of probation with the first 90 days to be served on home confinement. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $130,182.90. Carter was convicted of this charge on March 7, 2024, after she pleaded guilty.
Sharon R. Crowder, 55, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by Judge Brown to four years of probation with the first six months to be served on home confinement. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $139,656.00. Crowder was convicted of this charge on March 12, 2024, after she pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane C. Schulman prosecuted the case.