Catherine Seemer, a nurse practitioner from Elmsford, New York, has been sentenced to five years in prison for orchestrating an $11.2 million disability loan fraud scheme. The sentencing was announced by Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel delivered the sentence.

Seemer's fraudulent activities involved stealing the identities of 12 medical doctors to falsely discharge student loans under a federal program designed to assist individuals with permanent disabilities, including military veterans. "Today, Catherine Seemer has been held accountable for defrauding a federal loan forgiveness program created to help ease the financial burden of those who suffer from permanent physical or mental disabilities," said U.S. Attorney Sassoon.

The fraudulent scheme spanned from June 2017 through March 2022. During this period, Seemer deceived over 125 borrowers into believing they qualified for student loan relief and charged them fees for facilitating their loan discharge process. She submitted fraudulent applications using stolen personal information and forged medical certifications to claim non-existent disabilities.

In addition to her prison term, Seemer was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $635,352 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Sassoon praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Qais Ghafary from the White Plains Division.