FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
APRIL 28, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY RECEIVING
OVER $70,000 IN SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
Baltimore, Maryland - Jennifer Jones Peach Gimbel, age 38, of Arizona, pleaded guilty today to making false statements to the Social Security Administration, resulting in her fraudulent receipt of over $70,000 in social security benefits, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreement, when Gimbel’s husband, Timothy Peach, died in 1992, Gimbel began receiving survivor benefits from the Social Security Administration both as his widow and as the representative of their daughter. Gimbel agreed to inform the Social Security Administration if she re-married. However, when she remarried in October 1994, she did not inform the Social Security Administration of her marriage or return the survivor checks she received as Mr. Peach’s widow. In October 2000, Gimbel falsely stated to the Social Security Administration that she had not remarried. Six months later she falsely stated to the Social Security Administration that her husband was her brother.
In addition, Gimbel told the Social Security Administration that she had not received either her widow’s check or her daughter’s check for the months of September and October 2000, and February 2001. In fact, she received and cashed the original checks. The Social Security Administration issued six duplicate checks for those months, which Gimbel cashed, thereby receiving double payments for herself and her daughter.
Finally, in July 2001 and February 2002, Gimbel negotiated four Social Security benefit checks made payable to her neighbors, forging their endorsements and depositing them into her bank account.
Total losses to the Social Security Administration were $70,743.
Gimbel faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for July 6, 2007 at 2 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce K. McDonald, who is prosecuting the case.