Carmichaels Woman Charged with Defrauding Social Security

PITTSBURGH – A Greene County resident has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges relating to Social Security fraud, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

The two-count indictment, returned on June 28, named Cindy Hancheck, 60, of Carmichaels, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, between July 1999 and January 2016, Hancheck had knowledge of her husband’s continued presence in her household, his continued financial support of her, and the opening and maintenance of bank accounts held jointly between her and her husband, but concealed and failed to disclose those events to the Social Security Administration with the intent fraudulently to secure Supplemental Security Income benefits. Additionally, between January 2000 and February 2016, Hancheck, having filed an application for Supplemental Security Income benefits, received and converted approximately $115,597.94 in benefits to which she knew she was not entitled.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Adam N. Hallowell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.