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From the Desk of the Assistant Inspector General for External Relations

Posted by: Jonathan Lasher
DATE:
Friday, February 24, 2012

One of the things we often say when we tell Congress, the media, the public, SSA employees, and other audiences when talking about our work is that we receive allegations from many sources, and we work hand-in-hand with many other law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute those allegations. This week's Office of Investigations briefing materials bear this out, so we thought we'd share some of the details with you. There were two arrests and three sentencings last week in criminal cases investigated by our office, and these five cases demonstrate the extent to which we rely on many sources for allegations and on many agencies for cooperation:

  • We arrested a Texas man, together with the U.S. Marshals, based on successful investigation of an anonymous public allegation, on a State arrest warrant obtained by a State prosecutor;
  • We arrested a Los Angeles man after investigating an allegation we received from the Department of State that the man assumed his brother's identity to apply fraudulently for a passport; it turned out he also applied for (and received) Supplemental Security Income in his brother's name. We made that arrest together with agents from the Department of Homeland Security's Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the State Department;
  • A Florida man was sentenced to probation and restitution after our investigation revealed that he'd concealed his income by working under his wife's SSN so that he could continue receiving Social Security benefits. That allegation came from the Department of Health and Human Services' OIG, alleging the man worked as an office manager/biller from May 2003 through July 2006 while receiving Social Security;
  • SSA employees told us about a Boston woman who was receiving SSA benefits under one SSN, while working under another number. She was also receiving Department of Housing and Urban Development aid under another SSN. We investigated that case with the HUD's OIG, and the woman was sentenced to jail time and restitution of more than $100,000; and
  • SSA employees also brought our attention to a Texas woman who continued receiving and using her deceased father's Social Security benefits long after his death. The woman was eventually charged and sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to repay more than $150,000 to SSA.

So, two arrests, three criminal sentences, and of the five, one stemmed from the public, two from SSA, and two from different Federal agencies. The cases involved multiple Federal and State investigative partners and multiple Federal and State prosecutorial authorities. All of this made for a typical week for our Office of Investigations.

To submit an allegation of Social Security fraud to the OIG, please visit the Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse page.

Congressman Sam Johnson

Congressman Sam Johnson Comments on OIG Audit Report

Posted by: Office of External Relations
DATE:
Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Congressman Sam Johnson, Chariman of the Social Security Subcommitee, this week called a recent OIG audit report on Administrative Law Judges "a real eye-opener."

The OIG report, "Oversight of Administrative Law Judge Trends," examined ALJs who are outliers because of the number of cases they have or have not handled, and the number of awards they have handed out.

“As Chair of the Social Security Subcommittee, I am extremely troubled by the enormous freedom this ALJ had in assigning himself cases – and then rubberstamping approval for nearly all of them with no accountability or oversight,” Johnson said in a press release.

“This report is a real eye opener.  How can we trust the fairness of ALJ decisions when even some of their own co-workers say that the decisions could be influenced by the ALJ’s own political views and personal biases?  While ALJs must be free to do their jobs without agency interference or reprisal, they are supposed to follow the rules, not make their own.  The Subcommittee’s hearing series on securing the future of the disability insurance program will ask the tough questions and seek the right answers in order to ensure that the public is served fairly and that precious taxpayer dollars are not wasted,” Johnson added.

To view the entire press release from Congressman Johnson, click here.

FROM THE DESK OF THE ASSISTANT INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Posted by: Jonathan Lasher
DATE:
Wednesday, January 25, 2012

 

Yesterday, the Inspector General testified before the Social Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means.  Joining him on the OIG side of the witness table were Special Agent Tom Brady and Detective Paul Neske of our St. Louis Cooperative Disability Investigations unit.  You can read Mr. O’Carroll’s statement for the record HERE and that of SA Brady and Det. Neske HERE.  My last post discussed the CDI program, and provided a LINK to more information about the program, but I wanted to say a few words today about the relationship between an Inspector General and the Congress.  Under the Inspector General Act, IGs are required to report the results of their work to Congress.  This is done on a regular basis through our SEMIANNUAL REPORTS, but also through formal hearings such as yesterday’s.  Hearings take an impressive amount of work and preparation by both our staff and Congressional staff, but the resulting face-to-face dialogue between the IG and the men and women who make the laws that we enforce is invaluable and often humbling.  It’s particularly rewarding when, as yesterday, the people on the OIG front lines have the opportunity to speak to Congress, and Congress gets the opportunity to speak to them, question them, and thank them.  Special Agent Brady and Detective Neske have my personal thanks, and Mr. O’Carroll’s, for stepping up and helping advance the OIG mission in such a high-profile manner. 

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