A Clinton woman pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Bangor to charges of Social Security fraud and making false statements over a 13-year period, according to the U.S. attorney for Maine.
Katherine Prosper, 61, concealed the presence of her husband in her household from August 2006 to March 2019 in order to maintain her eligibility as a recipient of Supplemental Security Income, said U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank in a news release.
Supplemental Security Income benefits are paid to people who are blind, disabled or elderly and have limited income.
On several reviews for her eligibility, Prosper falsely represented to the Social Security Administration that she lived alone and did not receive help or money from anyone, Frank said.
Prosper’s husband reportedly had sufficient income and would have rendered her ineligible for the benefits she received over the 13-year period.
Prosper admitted to hiding the truth about her living situation in order to keep her eligibility during an interview with law enforcement agents. She now faces up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on both charges, with up to three years of supervised release.
Prosper is expected to be sentenced after a pre-sentence investigation report is completed by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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