Saco Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security Fraud and Theft of Public Money

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Kelly L. McCabe, 36, of Saco, Maine, pled guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to social security fraud and theft of public money.

According to court records, McCabe applied for Supplemental Security Income (“SSI”) on behalf of her two daughters, who were found eligible to receive such benefits in 2006 and 2008, respectively. SSI benefits are paid to people with limited income who are blind, disabled, or elderly. Beneficiaries who are unable to care for themselves may seek the appointment of a representative payee who is responsible for spending the beneficiary’s benefits on their day-to-day needs. McCabe was appointed representative payee for her two daughters. In 2012, McCabe lost custody of her daughters and they were placed into the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. After losing custody, McCabe continued to collect her daughters’ SSI benefits until July 2017 by concealing from the Social Security Administration (“SSA”), her daughters’ absence from her home and her personal use of their benefits.  McCabe was also a recipient of SSI benefits and her use of her daughters’ benefits reduced her eligibility to receive SSI benefits, resulting in an additional loss to the benefit program.

McCabe faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for social security fraud and up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for theft of public money charge.  She also faces up to three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation was conducted by SSA’s Office of the Inspector General and the Maine Department of Health & Human Services’ Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit.