Northern Idaho Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Funds

COEUR D’ALENE – Heather R. King, 31, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to theft of government funds, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.

According to court records, King’s daughter received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). King served as her daughter’s representative payee because her daughter was a minor child. From May 17, 2014, through October 1, 2015, King did not have custody of her daughter, but she continued to receive her daughter’s SSI benefits. King did not contact the SSA to report that her daughter no longer lived with her. Instead, she stole her daughter’s SSI benefits and converted them to her own use.

The charge of theft of government funds is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for May 22, 2018, before the Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.

 This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.