LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. —
A London woman was one of more than a dozen persons named in a federal indictment for defrauding the government to get social security and health care funds.
Sarah Binder, 67, allegedly misrepresented her situation by making false statements on government documents that entitled her to draw social security funds. Binder is accused of bringing in $69,232 in social security benefits for which she was not entitled.
The indictments were returned by the August federal grand jury in London against 14 people ranging between the ages of 25 to 70 years old. They are charged with social security benefit fraud, supplemental security benefit fraud (SSI), theft of government property, health care fraud and making false statements.
Most of those indicted allegedly concealed information that would have affected their eligibility to draw benefits. Many claimed they were separated from their spouse when they were in fact living with the spouse and getting financial support from them. Some of these claims go back for years.
The 13 other persons named in the indictment reside in McCreary, Whitley, Pike, Perry, Bell, and Leslie counties. The total amount of the falsified claims totals more than $1 million, with $800,842 misappropriated payments from the Social Security Administration and $282,469 in health care benefits.
The Social Security Administration offers the benefit program of supplemental security income (SSI) for disabled people with limited or no income. Through an agreement with the SSA and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, persons receiving SSI also qualify for Medicaid coverage.
The health care fraud and theft of government property charges carry a maximum of 10 years in prison. Social security fraud and making false statements carry a maximum of five years in prison.
Kerry B. Harvey, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Guy P. Fallen, Special Agent in Charge with the Social Security Administration, jointly announced the indictments. The cases were investigated by the SSA. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen C. Smith and W. Sam Dotson represented the U.S. Attorney’s Office in these cases.
njohnson@sentinel-echo.com
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August 30, 2012
London woman charged with fraud
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