Rapid City Woman Sentenced for Theft of Federal and State Funds

United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Rapid City, South Dakota, woman convicted of Theft of Government Property, Misuse of Funds by Representative Payee, and False Statement was sentenced by Chief Judge Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Court.

Connie Pates, age 38, was sentenced on July 22, 2019, to 5 years of probation, and was ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, $18,644.73 in restitution to the Social Security Administration, and $3,764 in restitution to the South Dakota Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The conviction stems from Pates falsely claiming that a minor child was living with her in order to receive the child’s Title XVI Supplemental Security Income, as well as SNAP and Medicare benefits for herself and the child between May 2015 and July 2018 at Rapid City.

The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.