Olney Man Indicted For Social Security Fraud

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today that David Mitchell Carter, 49, of Olney, Illinois, was indicted on July 22, 2015, by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court in East Saint Louis, Illinois, on one count of Theft of Government Funds. If convicted, Carter faces maximum penalties of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

The indictment alleges that from around January 2008, continuing to around January 2014, Carter did knowingly steal and convert money belonging to the Social Security Administration, having a value in excess of $1,000.00, by concealing his employment status in order to receive benefits from the Social Security Administration’s Title II Disability Insurance Benefits program, to which he knew he was not entitled by failing to disclose income he earned through employment.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge and is entitled to a fair trial at which the United States must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Liam Coonan.