Trotwood woman sentenced to prison for accepting Social Security payments, COVID-19 stimulus money on behalf of deceased brother

DAYTON, Ohio – Karen Lamb, 61, of Trotwood, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to six months in prison followed by six months in home detention for stealing Social Security benefits and COVID-19 stimulus money in the name of her deceased brother. Lamb was also ordered to repay the money she stole. 

According to court documents, Lamb fraudulently obtained nearly $223,000 in Social Security payments and $1,200 in COVID-19 stimulus money.

Lamb’s brother died in 2004, when he was a recipient of Social Security benefits. Lamb did not notify Social Security or the bank of her brother’s death, and instead continued to receive his payments into a shared bank account. Lamb updated the address associated with the bank account to her own physical address.

“This sentence demonstrates that concealing someone’s death to gain access to their Social Security’s benefits is a Federal crime, and one that the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will continue to fight,” said Andrew Boockmeier, Special Agent-in-Charge of the SSA OIG Chicago Field Division. “The collaborative efforts of our auditors and investigators uncovered this nearly 16-year ruse. I thank the United States Attorney’s Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry for working with us to hold this individual accountable.”

The theft in this case was detected through an audit by the SSA’s Office of Inspector General. The United States Secret Service also assisted with this case.

Vipal J. Patel, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the sentence imposed yesterday by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Special Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Landry is representing the United States in this case.

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