Hartford Woman Who Illegally Received Social Security Benefits Is Sentenced

Deirdre M. Daly, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that THERESA FORD, 55, of Hartford, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to three years of probation for illegally receiving Social Security benefits.

According to court documents and statements made in court, FORD began receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) Disability Insurance Benefits (DIB) in May 2007.  From approximately January 2007 through September 2011, FORD worked as a secretary for a small business, and her duties included managing time cards and payroll records for all of the business’s employees.  During this time, FORD’s income from her work as a secretary was more than the SSA Monthly Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) limit, which, if known by the SSA, would have terminated her eligibility for SSA DIB payments.  The payroll records prepared by FORD that her employer used to draft payroll checks accurately reflected her earnings.  However, the payroll summary ledgers prepared and sent by FORD to the business’s accountants under reported the amount of money that she was actually paid.  FORD’s earnings were reported to SSA based on the false payroll summary ledgers.  By reporting less than the SGA limit to SSA, FORD was able to remain eligible and continue to unlawfully receive SSA DIB payments.

FORD stopped working at the business in September 2011 and she continued to unlawfully receive DIB payments through December 2012.

FORD received a total of $56,780 in DIB payments that she was not eligible to receive.  Today, she was ordered to pay full restitution.

On June 13, 2013, FORD waived her right to indictment and pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property.

This matter was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Felice Duffy. 

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