West Virginia Woman Sentenced for Theft of Social Security Income Money

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of West Virginia:

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. –  Kimberly Hall was sentenced to federal prison for one year and a day for the felony offense of fraudulently obtaining Social Security income benefits, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Hall, 43, of  Bluefield, previously entered a guilty plea on March 21, 2019.   She was ordered to pay restitution back to the United States Treasury in the amount of $77,717 and will be placed on supervised release for three years after she discharges her prison sentence.  Stuart praised the work of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA-Office of Inspector General (OIG). 

“A despicable, heinous, selfish crime.  Social Security benefits are critical for so many West Virginia families,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We’re not going to tolerate anyone stealing from this or any other federal benefits program.”

Hall applied for Title II Social Security benefits in 2007 and to be a representative payee for a minor child.  These Social Security benefits are based on income and living arrangements and create a duty to report a change in income or living arrangements.  From 2011 to 2016, the minor child no longer resided in Hall’s home.  Hall did not report this change in living arrangements, which would have lowered the amount of money she was receiving each month.  Rather, Hall indicated that the minor child resided at her home when the child no longer resided with her. From August 2011 through September 2016, Hall received $77,717 of Social Security benefits in excess of the amount she was due. On November 9, 2016, Hall gave a false statement to a SSA claims representative concerning the minor child.  SSA-OIG investigators investigated the claims and Hall admitted to them that the she had given false statements and that the minor child no longer resided at her home.  She also knew that she was receiving money that she was not entitled to receive.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.

BLUEFIELD, W.Va. –  Kimberly Hall was sentenced to federal prison for one year and a day for the felony offense of fraudulently obtaining Social Security income benefits, announced United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  Hall, 43, of  Bluefield, previously entered a guilty plea on March 21, 2019.   She was ordered to pay restitution back to the United States Treasury in the amount of $77,717 and will be placed on supervised release for three years after she discharges her prison sentence.  Stuart praised the work of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA-Office of Inspector General (OIG). 

“A despicable, heinous, selfish crime.  Social Security benefits are critical for so many West Virginia families,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We’re not going to tolerate anyone stealing from this or any other federal benefits program.”

Hall applied for Title II Social Security benefits in 2007 and to be a representative payee for a minor child.  These Social Security benefits are based on income and living arrangements and create a duty to report a change in income or living arrangements.  From 2011 to 2016, the minor child no longer resided in Hall’s home.  Hall did not report this change in living arrangements, which would have lowered the amount of money she was receiving each month.  Rather, Hall indicated that the minor child resided at her home when the child no longer resided with her. From August 2011 through September 2016, Hall received $77,717 of Social Security benefits in excess of the amount she was due. On November 9, 2016, Hall gave a false statement to a SSA claims representative concerning the minor child.  SSA-OIG investigators investigated the claims and Hall admitted to them that the she had given false statements and that the minor child no longer resided at her home.  She also knew that she was receiving money that she was not entitled to receive.

Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.