Ex-Social Security worker pleads guilty to fraud charge
Ex-Social Security worker pleads guilty to fraud charge
Nicole Dionne 05/26/2005
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PAWTUCKET -- Maria Diaz Garay, who was arrested on April 1, and charged, in a federal complaint, with one count of wire fraud for unlawfully processing Social Security numbers, appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday where she pleaded guilty to the charge.
The 48-year-old Pawtucket woman was arrested and charged after using her position as a service representative at the Social Security Administration'sPawtucket district office, 55 Broad St., to approve fraudulent applications for Social Security numbers.
She had worked at the office since 1997 and was a service representative for the last eight years. She was responsible for accepting, processing and certifying applications for Social Security cards and entering that information into the computer system. Once the information is entered, a card is created and mailed to the applicant.
Following the discovery that a card was sold to an illegal alien for $500, an investigation was launched by the SSA, office of inspector general and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
They discovered that between May 2002, and July 2004, approximately 229 cards were fraudulently processed and approved by Diaz Garay.
When questioned by special agents in March 2005, SSA special agent Jason Donnelly said in an affidavit that Diaz Garay admitted that she had processed and approved Social Security applications for illegal aliens without proper documentation and that the applications were brought to her by an unidentified individual, who paid her $200 to $500 per application.
Donnelly also stated in the affidavit that Diaz told him and another agent that "she knew it was wrong to approve these applications and stated several times during the interview, 'I'm guilty,' in reference to her approval of the fraudulent applications."
U.S District Court Judge William E. Smith questioned Diaz Garay to be sure she understood the charge against her and the possible ramifications of pleading guilty. She said that she did understand and pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.
As part of the plea agreement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee H. Vilker will be requesting that Diaz Garay receive a lighter sentence. But, despite that recommendation, sentencing will ultimately be decided by Smith. The count, which is a felony, can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a $25,000 fine, three years of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
Smith said that he will be relying heavily on a pre-sentencing report from the Office of Probation to make his decision. That report, based upon the offense level of the crime and on any criminal history that Diaz Garay may have, is expected to call for jail time, but Smith is only required to consider, not follow, its guidelines.
Although Diaz Garay's lawyer, public defender Edward Roy, and Vilker both said that it was too early to tell what the sentencing may be, Roy does expect jail time to be recommended.
"It's a serious case," Roy said.
Diaz Garay, who's employment at the SSA was terminated earlier this month after being on leave since her arrest, will be continuing on her current bail status until her sentencing on Sept. 2.She had no comment on the case.
http://www.pawtuckettimes.com/site/news ... 4491&rfi=6
Re: SSA employee selling #'s
Quote:
Originally Posted by butterbean
:x People like this should be given the maximum sentence.
I agree anyone who aids and/or abits the illegals needs to get the max sentence.
