The $1.2 million waterfront home where prosecutors say a Seattle chiropractor and his wife lived while claiming welfare assistance is seen.
Seattle Couple Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Aid Programs Intended For The Poor.
Богатая пара из
Сиэтла, жившая в доме стоимостью более одного миллиона долларов, признала себя
виновной в мошенничестве при получении социальных пособий, сообщает 17 мая
пресс-служба Министерства юстиции США. На полученные средства они покупали
предметы роскоши и путешествовали по миру.
60-летний мануальный терапевт
Дэвид Силверстейн (David Silverstein) и его сожительница 53-летняя Людмила
Шимонова (Lyudmila Shimonova) обвиняются в краже государственных средств и мошенничестве при
использовании государственных программ социальной защиты. Пара обвиняется в систематическом обмане государственных органов социальной защиты, начиная с 2003 года. Они предоставили ложную информацию о том, что Шимонова с двумя детьми всего лишь арендует принадлежащий ей дом. На этом основании она получала компенсацию расходов на аренду жилья. А Силверстейн, выдававший себя за хозяина этого дома, предоставлял государственным органам поддельные чеки на 1250 долларов в месяц . Похожим образом пара получала и другие пособия.
По решению Генеральной прокуратуры США пара выплатит примерно в два с половиной раза больше, чем они получили, в том числе более 261000 долларов в качестве возмещения полученных пособий и дополнительно более 216000 долларов штрафа в бюджет Департамента жилищного строительства и городского развития США и в бюджет штата Вашингтон. Fox News со ссылкой на представителя Генеральной прокуратуры США также сообщает, что обвинение будет требовать тюремного заключения для Силверстейна и Шимоновой.
Мошенникам грозит до 10 лет лишения свободы. Вынесение приговора намечено на 21 сентября 2012 года.
English Version:
United States Attorney Jenny A.
Durkan
Western District of Washington
Seattle Couple Pleads Guilty To Defrauding Aid Programs Intended For The Poor
Couple Lived in Waterfront Home, Traveled Widely and Bought Expensive Jewelry
May 17, 2012
A Seattle
couple pleaded guilty today to theft of government funds for defrauding state
and federal benefit programs intended to provide a safety net for the poor and
vulnerable, announced U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan. The chiropractor, DAVID
SILVERSTEIN,
60, and his long time live-in partner, LYUDMILA SHIMONOVA, 53, will pay more
than $261,000 in restitution plus an additional civil penalty of
$216,441. In all they will pay two and a half times the total fraud they
perpetuated on the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and will
reimburse both the Social Security Administration and the Washington State
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) for the fraudulent benefits
they obtained. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez scheduled
sentencing for September 21, 2012.“Today we ensured this couple will not profit from their flagrant greed,” said U. S. Attorney Durkan. “In addition to a significant financial penalty, we will ask the judge to impose prison time. They stole resources that should have gone to the truly needy, illegally taking the place of others in a housing program with a long waiting list. This conduct hurts people who need assistance and weakens public support for a vital safety net. I commend HUD and SSA for the work done to protect the public interest in this case.”
According to the plea agreements the couple began defrauding HUD in 2003, when they falsely claimed that SILVERSTEIN was SHIMONOVA’s landlord who was accepting rent for her and her two children to live at his waterfront property. SILVERSTEIN fraudulently stated that he was not living at the house and posed as SHIMONOVA’s landlord, not her romantic partner. SILVERSTEIN used the address of his chiropractic practice on correspondence with HUD to conceal the fact that he was living in the waterfront property. SILVERSTEIN collected more than $1,250 each month as rent payments from HUD on behalf of SHIMONOVA. The couple even went so far as to submit a fraudulent “Eviction Notice” in October 2003, so that they could collect $750 in emergency rent assistance as a “damage deposit” on the home. SHIMONOVA and SILVERSTEIN lied about their living circumstances to qualify for the HUD benefits.
SHIMONOVA further lied about her personal financial circumstances to qualify for food and medical benefits from DSHS, as well as Social Security Disability payments. These programs are available only to people with less than $2,000 in total assets. Beginning in 1995, SHIMONOVA claimed to have no assets other than a small balance in a checking account. In fact she had a life insurance policy with a cash value exceeding $2,000 making her ineligible for assistance. In 2003, after beginning her relationship with SILVERSTEIN, she continued to lie about her resources. In annual reports to DSHS and Social Security she claimed poverty while owning a platinum and diamond ring appraised at $12,500 and diamond earrings worth $17,000. She also owned certificates of deposit of more than $30,000. Any one of these assets disqualified her from the assistance programs. Between 1999 and 2011 she fraudulently collected $84,000 from DSHS. Between 2005 and 2011 she fraudulently collected $60,124 from Social Security.
Theft of government funds is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG), the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and the Department of Social and Health Services Office of Fraud and Accountability.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson is an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute fraud cases in federal court. The civil litigation in this case was pursued by Assistant United States Attorneys Harold Malkin and Kayla Stahman.
Источники информации: Lenta.ru, Fox News, AP.
May 26, 2012 @ 10:59
Phoenix, AZ
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