Gary Woman Ordered To Pay $192,659 In Restitution

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

HAMMOND-Elizabeth Harris, 40, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge James T. Moody on her plea of guilty to mail fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.

Harris was sentenced to 36 months’ probation with 12 months’ home detention and ordered to pay $192,659 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to documents filed in the case, in March 2009, Elizabeth Harris became a Representative Payee for her father, who received benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, and later the Retirement Insurance Benefits Program. As a representative Payee, Harris was responsible for using the money for the benefit of her father and was required to report any change in circumstances to the SSA. Harris’ father died in September 2010, but she never reported his death to the SSA. She continued to fraudulently collect benefit to which her deceased father was not entitled, in the total sum of $192,659.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Chang and former Assistant United States Attorney Molly Kelley.