Maine Woman Sentenced to Jail for Using Son's SSN

Article from Bangor Daily News here

A Brunswick woman was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to two weeks in jail followed by three years of supervised release for using her son’s Social Security number to obtain credit and hide her income to continue receiving welfare benefits.

Jessica Bartlett, 30, also was ordered to pay more than $19,000 in restitution, according to information posted on the court’s electronic case filing system.

U.S. District Judge George Singal ordered Bartlett, who was arrested in February 2012, to begin serving her sentence on Jan. 15. She remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail.

Bartlett pleaded guilty in June to five counts of Social Security fraud, and two counts of making false statements. In a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, three counts of aggravated identity theft, three counts of Social Security fraud and two counts of making false statements were dismissed at her sentencing.

She began receiving welfare assistance in 2001 from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, according to court documents.

Her son was assigned a Social Security number in 2007 after his birth.

By pleading guilty, Bartlett admitted that she used her name and birthdate but her son’s Social Security number to get a job, a car loan, a bank accounts and credit cards.

Bartlett faced up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the prevailing federal sentencing guidelines, the recommended sentence was between six and 12 months.

A Brunswick woman was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court to two weeks in jail followed by three years of supervised release for using her son’s Social Security number to obtain credit and hide her income to continue receiving welfare benefits.

Jessica Bartlett, 30, also was ordered to pay more than $19,000 in restitution, according to information posted on the court’s electronic case filing system.

U.S. District Judge George Singal ordered Bartlett, who was arrested in February 2012, to begin serving her sentence on Jan. 15. She remains free on $10,000 unsecured bail.

Bartlett pleaded guilty in June to five counts of Social Security fraud, and two counts of making false statements. In a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, three counts of aggravated identity theft, three counts of Social Security fraud and two counts of making false statements were dismissed at her sentencing.

She began receiving welfare assistance in 2001 from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, according to court documents.

Her son was assigned a Social Security number in 2007 after his birth.

By pleading guilty, Bartlett admitted that she used her name and birthdate but her son’s Social Security number to get a job, a car loan, a bank accounts and credit cards.

Bartlett faced up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Under the prevailing federal sentencing guidelines, the recommended sentence was between six and 12 months.