Idaho Woman Sentenced to Five Months in Prison for Representative Payee Fraud

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Idaho:

POCATELLO – Barbara E. Waters, 61, of Chubbuck, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to five months in prison followed by five months of home detention and three years of supervised release for theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Judge N. Randy Smith of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting by designation as a district court judge, also ordered Waters to pay restitution of $88,390. She pleaded guilty to the charge on August 28, 2013.

According to the plea agreement, Waters was employed as the manager of the Aid for Friends Representative Payee Program, in which the Social Security Administration sends payments for beneficiaries to Aid for Friends. Aid for Friends then administers the funds and pays for the beneficiary’s personal expenses. According to the plea agreement, Waters had signing authority on the Aid for Friends Social Security Administration trust account at Wells Fargo Bank, where all beneficiaries’ Social Security funds are deposited. Waters admitted that from January 2006 to December 2010, she wrote checks on the trust account, without authorization, for personal expenses, including cash and credit card bills totaling $82,882. Waters also agreed to pay $5,500 in audit and investigative expenses to Aid for Friends.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations, and the Pocatello Police Department.

POCATELLO – Barbara E. Waters, 61, of Chubbuck, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to five months in prison followed by five months of home detention and three years of supervised release for theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Judge N. Randy Smith of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, sitting by designation as a district court judge, also ordered Waters to pay restitution of $88,390. She pleaded guilty to the charge on August 28, 2013.

According to the plea agreement, Waters was employed as the manager of the Aid for Friends Representative Payee Program, in which the Social Security Administration sends payments for beneficiaries to Aid for Friends. Aid for Friends then administers the funds and pays for the beneficiary’s personal expenses. According to the plea agreement, Waters had signing authority on the Aid for Friends Social Security Administration trust account at Wells Fargo Bank, where all beneficiaries’ Social Security funds are deposited. Waters admitted that from January 2006 to December 2010, she wrote checks on the trust account, without authorization, for personal expenses, including cash and credit card bills totaling $82,882. Waters also agreed to pay $5,500 in audit and investigative expenses to Aid for Friends.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations, and the Pocatello Police Department.