Lima woman was indicted for stealing $45,000 from Social Security after falsely claiming her disabled daughter lived with her

A Lima woman was indicted for stealing $45,000 from Social Security by falsely claiming her disabled daughter lived with her, said U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman.

Stacie D. Williams, 43, was indicted for theft of government funds and making false statements to the Social Security Administration.

Williams fraudulently converted for her own use the Supplemental Security Income payments intended for her disabled daughter. For several years, Williams falsely informed Social Security that her daughter lived with her and that she used the funds for her daughter’s benefit. Records showed, however, that Williams did not have custody of her daughter, who has been living with her father since 2009.

Manuel Muniz from the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the Court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.