Philipsburg woman admits lying to receive federal Social Security and health benefits | USAO-MT

MISSOULA — A Philipsburg female accused of lying about her residing arrangements and belongings in purchase to get much more Social Safety Administration (SSA) rewards and other federal support than she was entitled to receive admitted to costs nowadays, U.S. Legal professional Leif M. Johnson stated.

Virginia Kathleen Pearson, 56, pleaded responsible to fake statements to a government agency as billed in an indictment. Pearson faces a utmost of five many years in prison, a $250,000 great and a few many years of supervised release.

A plea arrangement attained in the circumstance calls for the government to find dismissal of remaining counts of wellness treatment fraud, theft of governing administration cash and Social Safety fraud at sentencing if the court accepts the settlement. Pearson also agrees to be dependable for total restitution of close to $142,542.

U.S. Justice of the peace Decide Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. A sentencing date was set for Sept. 1 right before U.S. District Decide Donald W. Molloy. The courtroom will figure out any sentence following thinking about the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other sentencing elements. Pearson was launched on ailments pending further proceedings.

The government alleged in courtroom files that in 2006, Pearson applied for Social Protection Profits (SSI) from the SSA and was approved for added benefits in 2008. For an preliminary evaluation, Pearson claimed that her partner lived with her in Philipsburg, and she started off getting SSA payments in a diminished volume since of her husband’s earnings. In September 2008, Pearson claimed that her partner had left her family. SSA recalculated Pearson’s SSI and she began receiving significantly much larger payments. From November 2008 right until about December 2020, Pearson received Price tag of Dwelling Adjustment letters notifying her that her payments would improve and of her obligation to report changes to her domestic composition and earnings. Pearson also started getting Supplemental Nutrition Guidance Method resources and Medicaid based on her representations that her spouse did not live with her or supply her with financial support.

The governing administration further alleged that in August 2019, Pearson’s spouse used for Social Stability retirement advantages, reported he was married to Pearson and lived at the similar residence with her considering that 2000. An investigation observed that Pearson explained she lived by yourself, paid a every month rent and signed a kind stating that her partner lived at an handle in Anaconda. The investigation identified that Pearson and her spouse jointly owned the Philipsburg residence, and that hire should really not have been deducted from Pearson’s sources. Pearson also did not disclose more bank accounts and vehicles in her and her husband’s name and possession.

Pearson to begin with denied her spouse lived at her dwelling but later on admitted he stayed there about 50 % of the time. Pearson also admitted she knew she had to report variations in her home to SSA. Pearson’s misrepresentations resulted in an overpayment of SSI in the amount of $101,136, SNAP money totaling $23,203 and Medicaid reimbursement of $18,203.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter is prosecuting the situation, which was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector Basic and Montana Section of Public Wellbeing and Human Providers.

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