Woman Sentenced to Prison for Using Two SSNs

A Harnett County woman has been sentenced to two years in prison after it was determined she had two Social Security numbers and cards and had used one number to apply for disability benefits while she continued to work using the other number. U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that Sarita Green, 48, of Lillington, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years supervised release.

Senior U.S. District Judge James C. Fox sentenced Ms. Green, who was also ordered to pay $149,321.20 in restitution.

A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment on April 19, 2011, charging Ms. Green with Social Security Fraud. On Feb. 27, 2012, Ms. Green pled guilty to making a false statement in acquiring Social Security benefits and to fraud in connection with identification documents.

According to the investigation, in 1974, Ms. Green applied for and received a Social Security number and card under her birth name. On June 13, 1994, Ms. Green applied for and received another security number and card. Ms. Green provided a false date and place of birth, and falsely represented that she had never been assigned a Social Security number.

Under her original Social Security number, Ms. Green then applied for Social Security Disability benefits and Social Security Income benefits, which she began to receive in 1995. Beginning in 1994, Ms. Green used the fraudulent Social Security number to gain employment. From 1994 to 2009, Ms. Green was employed and received employment income under the fraudulent Social Security number. During the same time period, Ms. Green received approximately $149,321.20 in Social Security Disability and Social Security Income benefits without reporting her employment. In a Feb. 25, 2009, Continuing Disability review, Ms. Green falsely stated that she was not employed.

The case against Ms. Green was investigated by the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Greensboro Field Office. U.S. Attorneys Toby Lathan and Yvonne Watford-McKinney prosecuted the case. Story by The Daily Record