South Glens Falls Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security Fraud

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Roberta L. Rivers, age 57, of South Glens Falls, New York pled guilty today to stealing $112,000 in benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Edward J. Ryan, Special Agent-In-Charge of the SSA Office of the Inspector General.

During her plea today before Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe, Rivers admitted to concealing and failing to disclose that she was married and resided with her husband from July 2002 through November 2013 while she collected Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Survivors Insurance Benefits (SIB). She also admitted that she did not report the marriage because she knew it would make her ineligible to receive benefits. As a result of her failure to disclose her marriage and the fact that she was living with her husband, she received $83,274 in SSI and $28,798 in SIB which she was not entitled to receive.

Rivers faces up to ten years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to three years when she is sentenced on September 12, 2016 by Senior United States District Judge Gary L. Sharpe. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.

This case is being investigated by the SSA Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. White.