Mom helped son fake disability so he could receive federal assistance, officials say
A Missouri woman was sentenced to probation after officials say she helped her son lie about a mental disability in order to receive federal assistance.
For more than 13 years, the 57-year-old woman helped her son defraud the Social Security Administration in order to collect Supplemental Security Income benefits by falsely confirming he had a mental disability, according to a July 23 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri.
McClatchy News reached out to the woman’s attorney for comment on July 25 but did not immediately hear back.
The woman and her son claimed that he had never worked due to a mental disability. They also reported he did not own any properties, did not have any income and was never convicted of a felony, according to a criminal complaint.
The mother also reported that her son didn’t “go outside much,” could not drive, could not pay bills, needed to be accompanied to places and had problems concentrating and completing tasks, according to the complaint.
However, the court document said none of this was true. The man was working in construction, had trained and competed in martial arts, had a driver’s license, owned property, owned a vehicle and had previously been convicted of a felony.
Between October 2010 and August 2024, the man received more than $88,000 in SSI benefits, according to the complaint.
“(The woman) held a position of trust for 13 years as a representative payee, which she misused in fraudulently obtaining Supplemental Security Income benefits for her son. She concealed that he was not disabled, and falsely reported about his employment and resources so his benefits would continue,” special agent in charge Elena Torres Burfield said.
The woman pleaded guilty in February to five counts of theft of government funds and one count of making a false statement. She was sentenced to five years of probation, 18 months of house arrest and she was ordered to repay $131,155.
Her son was sentenced to seven years in prison in June, for the disability fraud case and a separate case where he was accused of financially exploiting two older women, according to officials.
Officials said he received four vehicles and checks worth over $855,000 from one woman and used her debit card to purchase items for himself and his family. He also transferred a house belonging to the other woman into his name, according to prosecutors.
This story was originally published July 25, 2024 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Mom helped son fake disability so he could receive federal assistance, officials say."
