We realize it may be a stretch for ordinary people to want to keep up with the comings and goings of the Social Security Administration, but sometimes circumstances permit where someone does want to follow the latest news regarding the agency due to a possible retirement or disability interest. This blog is an ongoing piecemeal of recent stories that have involved Social Security. Some are tidbits and some are important things that should be known in the world of retirement or disability and others are just interesting stories and nothing more.
Fraud And Embezzlement
Two former Social Security employees are in trouble with the law on fraud and embezzlement charges and could be facing significant prison time.
An Alabama television station reported that LaTanya Hatter, a former employee in the Birmingham office was charged with three federal counts of fraud and identity theft for taking $150,000 after authorizing an automated payment in 2017. An investigation uncovered the scheme in 2018. Hatter has reached a plea agreement, which calls for prison time, restitution and a fine according to the report.
A California man, Nam-Phong Hung Le, was recently sentenced to eight months of home detention for embezzling $65,118 from six different Social Security counts. Le worked as a technical expert for the Social Security Administration and focused on account where benefits should have been stopped, but were not. He pled guilty to two counts of Social Security fraud and theft of public property. The Star News reported that Le paid back all the money he took, which probably was the reason he received home detention and three years of probation.
