A grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging India N. Parker, 36, with several crimes related to the theft of more than $40,000 in government benefits.
Parker was indicted on two counts of theft of government property and five counts of making false statements. The indictment alleges that Parker stole and converted to her own use, $40,236 in Social Security payments made to a deceased payee and $1,393 in food stamp benefits.
The indictment further alleges that Parker made false statements to agency representatives by stating that her daughter had been living with her when, in fact, Parker knew that her daughter was deceased during the relevant time frames.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Tripi, following investigation by agents of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
