Evergreen Reporter

Rebecca Fields, a 70-year-old resident of Kokomo, has been sentenced to three years of probation after admitting guilt in making false statements to receive Social Security benefits unlawfully. The court also ordered her to repay $231,203.10.

Court documents reveal that Fields' husband, referred to as "L.F.", began receiving Social Security retirement benefits around July 1985. On December 4, 2002, Rebecca Fields requested and was approved by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to be added as L.F.'s representative payee.

The SSA allows a "representative payee" when a beneficiary cannot manage their own benefits. This role requires annual certification of the ongoing relationship with the beneficiary and how the funds are used for their benefit.

Despite L.F.'s death on April 10, 2006, Fields did not inform the SSA and continued filing at least 13 Representative Payee Reports from 2007 to 2022. In these reports, she falsely claimed that L.F. was still living with her and misrepresented spending his retirement benefits on his well-being. Her actions resulted in illegally obtaining approximately $231,203.10 in Social Security benefits after L.F.'s passing.

John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana stated: “For over a decade, Fields brazenly stole not only from the United States government but also indirectly from taxpayers who diligently pay into the Social Security retirement fund." He added that this case should warn potential fraudsters about facing consequences for cheating the system.

The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General. U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon imposed the sentence.

Acting U.S. Attorney Childress expressed gratitude towards Assistant U.S. Attorney Corbin D. Houston for prosecuting this case.