News and Press Releases
Ceylon woman sentenced for stealing
$46,630 in Social Security benefits
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS– Earlier today in federal court, a woman from the southern Minnesota
community of Ceylon was sentenced for stealing more than $45,000 in Social Security benefits.
United States District Court Judge John R. Tunheim sentenced Tammi Marie Palmer, age 50, to
three years of probation, including 180 days of home confinement, on one count of making a
false statement for use in determining eligibility for Social Security benefits. In addition, Palmer
was ordered to serve 40 hours of community service, and ordered to pay $46,630.45 in
restitution. Palmer was indicted on April 12, 2011, and pleaded guilty on October 24, 2011.
In her plea agreement, Palmer admitted that on January 31, 2008, she made a false statement
to the Social Security Administration to determine if she was eligible to receive supplemental
social security income benefits on behalf of her two disabled sons. Specifically, Palmer failed to
disclose that her then-husband was living with her and was earning wages. The indictment filed
in this case alleges that Palmer was responsible for similar omissions during at least six hearings.
Those omissions are material because the benefits received were subject to household-income
limits. As a result of her false statements, Palmer obtained approximately $46,630.45 in
unentitled supplemental Social Security benefits between June of 2003 and January of 2009.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration-Office of
Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly A. Svendsen.
