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October 11-12, 2008

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Woman with two Social Security numbers charged with fraud

WHITE PLAINS – A Yonkers woman has been charged with two counts of grand larceny in the second degree for maintaining two different Social Security numbers under different names.

Thelma Smith, also known as Thelma Fuentes, maintained the separate identified for 20 years, during which time she collected disability benefits under one Social Security number and was employed at a number of jobs including a seven year stint as a clerk at Lutheran Social Services of New York in New York City, under the second one.

Her employment made her ineligible for the SSA benefits.

The Social Security Administration says she owes over $114,000 in overpayments.

Authorities also charged that during the time she maintained the two sets of numbers, she received Section 8 housing benefits from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, also to which she was ineligible.

She was overpaid $70,000 from HUD.

The fraud came to light when she went to SSA to collect benefits under the second name.

If convicted, she faces five to 15 years in state prison.


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