Nitro woman sentenced for defrauding Social Security

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Nitro woman was sentenced today in federal court to five years of probation and ordered to pay $131,581.40 in restitution for defrauding Social Security, announced Acting United States Attorney Carol Casto. Linda Alford, 65, previously pleaded guilty to theft of government property in September of 2015.

Alford was receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration after her husband died in 1990. In 1997, Alford remarried, which should have ended her right to collect survivor benefits. However, Alford did not report her change in marital status to the Social Security Administration, and continued to receive Social Security benefits as though she had not remarried. From 1997 to 2014, Alford received the benefits and spent the money, knowing that she was not entitled to the payments. In total, she illegally collected over $130,000 in survivor benefits.

The United States Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes prosecuted the case. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence.

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