by SHANNON STOWERS Thursday, February 27th
2020
KANAWHA
COUNTY, W.VA (WCHS/WVAH) — A Nitro woman pleaded guilty Thursday to
fraudulently obtaining Social Security Income benefits.
Prosecutors
say Teresa Ahrent, 56, fraudulently obtained more than $74,000 over the course
of nine years, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Ahrent
applied for Social Security benefits in January 2005 on behalf of her daughter,
who she said lived with her at the time in Hurricane.
From
2010 to 2019, Ahrent’s adult daughter resided at a psychiatric hospital in
Huntington, but Ahrent told the Social Security Administration she was still
living with her.
Investigators
say Ahrent admitted to taking $74,641 in Social Security benefits in 2019 that
she wasn't entitled to.
United
States Attorney Mike Stuart said his office is continuing to work closely with
the Social Security Administration to find people defrauding the agency.
“Social
security and government benefit fraud is rampant and epidemic. Stealing
government benefits is an abhorrent repugnant act,” Stuart said in the news
release.
Ahrent
will be required to pay restitution to the United States Social Security
Administration.
She
faces up to five years of incarceration when she is scheduled to be sentenced
on June 8.
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