Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security Fraud
Jul 5, 2022
From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of West Virginia:
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Melissa Waller, 45, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty today to theft of Social Security benefits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Waller received Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits on behalf of a deceased relative. Waller admitted that she knew that she was not entitled to receive these SSA benefits once her relative passed away in April 2012. Between June 2012 and April 2020, Waller received $84,509 in federal benefits that she was not entitled to receive and converted those SSA benefits to her own use.
Waller is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2022, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Social Security Administration and the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes is prosecuting the case.
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