NEW YORK– A 77-year-old Bronx woman has pleaded guilty to illegally collecting more than half a million dollars in Human Resources Administration (HSA) and Social Security (SSA) benefits over decades, spending most of that money at a casino, according to prosecutors.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark announced Wednesday that Carmen Soto, also known by other aliases such as Gloria Sánchez and Carmen Maldonado, has been sentenced to five years probation. She pleaded guilty to second-degree grand theft on May 11.
The case stems from an investigation by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Inspector General that found Soto defrauded the city’s Human Resources Administration of $266,479.40 and the United States Social Security Administration of $388,322.24. .
“This ruling should be a warning to those thinking of defrauding the Social Security Administration for benefits: We hold you accountable. The Office of the Inspector General will continue to work to ensure the integrity of SSA programs, which provide a critical safety net for those who qualify,” said Sharon MacDermott, special agent in charge of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. , New York Field Division, in a statement.
The investigation found that in 1960, Soto was issued three Social Security numbers, under the names of Carmen Soto, Gloria Sánchez and Carmen Maldonado. Soto was approved in 1994 under the aliases Sánchez and Maldonado after she applied for Social Security under all three names. She also obtained driver’s licenses or non-driver IDs in all names, according to the district attorney’s office. Additionally, the investigation found that between November 4, 1993 and April 1, 1996, Soto applied for and received HRA benefits under multiple identities.
According to the district attorney’s office, Soto also opened two separate bank accounts and two post office boxes to receive Social Security payments. She also applied for and obtained passports under his name and aliases. Soto was caught after the DMV used facial recognition software when she went to renew one of her driver’s licenses and her multiple identities were revealed.
“The defendant raised money under three different names and carefully orchestrated a scheme to collect benefits to which she was not entitled. The defendant was caught after she attempted to renew her driver’s license, and the Department of Motor Vehicles’ facial recognition software determined that the defendant had multiple identities,” Clark said in a statement.
Aside from his five-year probation sentence, Soto was also ordered to pay restitution, which may prove difficult since he also admitted that most of the money was spent gambling at a casino.
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