Rose Henderson, a 62-year-old resident of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced on Mar. 18 to 12 months and one day in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, according to United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Henderson was also ordered by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund to pay $364,779 in restitution. The sentence follows her admission that she defrauded the Social Security Administration (SSA) over a period spanning more than two decades.
Court documents show that Henderson’s mother began receiving social security benefits in August 1989 at age 62. Six years later, Henderson became her mother’s representative payee and was responsible for using the benefits for her mother’s care and support. After her mother died the following year, Henderson did not inform the SSA of her passing and continued collecting the benefits until March 2021.
During this time, authorities said Henderson submitted false paperwork claiming her mother was still alive and that she used the funds for her benefit. Instead, prosecutors say she spent the money on herself, including cruises, trips to Las Vegas, and cash withdrawals at casinos in northwest Indiana.
“Henderson stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a government assistance program designed to help the most vulnerable members of society and used it for decades to support a lifestyle that is beyond the reach of many members of the community,” said United States Attorney Mildred. “Through the hard work of the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern Division, the Defendant was arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced. We will, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable those who defraud government programs and put critical benefits at risk.”
The case was investigated by agents from Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven J. Lupa and Zachary D. Heater.
