FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tonya Eickman, Program Audit Division Director, Office of Audit, Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), testified before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security hearing on protecting beneficiaries from the harm of improper payments. Since fiscal year 2002, the OIG…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Ohio CINCINNATI– A man who filed for relief under the Paycheck Protection Program and fraudulently claimed that he was running a business during the time he was incarcerated was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 12 months and one day in prison. Willie Boyce, 42, pleaded…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Rhode Island PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A former Massachusetts used car dealer who led a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud financial institutions in several states, including Rhode Island, out of more than $2.8 million dollars has been sentenced to five years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A.…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Ivan Hollingsworth (35, Florence, AL) to 10 years in federal prison for transferring machinegun conversion devices and theft of government funds. The court also ordered Hollingsworth to forfeit $46,426.91, which is traceable to proceeds of…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana INDIANAPOLIS- Alexander Weatherspoon, a/k/a “Tyler Simmons,” 28, of Chicago, Illinois, has been sentenced to 6 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false statements. According to court documents, from December 2017 to August 2019, Weatherspoon participated in a…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Texas BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 38-year-old Harlingen resident and former claims specialist with the Social Security Administration (SSA) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.  Lee Marvin Nichols admitted to creating fictitious profiles for two children that did not exist. He linked…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Tommy Mendez (42, Melbourne) to three years and one month in federal prison for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the court also entered…

SAN DIEGO – Abel Alonso Valdez-Vazquez was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for misusing the identity of an American citizen for over 30 years in order to obtain identification documents and thousands of dollars in government benefits. U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Battaglia ordered Valdez-Vazquez, 59, to pay $81,185.35 in restitution to the…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Missouri ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Friday sentenced a chiropractor from Jefferson County, Missouri to four years in prison and ordered him to repay $4.3 million lost to a disability and health care fraud scheme that involved 17 other defendants.  Beginning in…

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of West Virginia MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Joseph M. Beach, age 54, of Inwood, West Virginia, has been indicted for misappropriation by a fiduciary, wire fraud, theft of government property, false written statement, and false statement to federal agent. According to court documents, Beach was appointed as fiduciary…