U.S. Postal Worker Faces Charges for Stealing Tampa Benefit Checks, Says Florida Social Security Attorney
Apr 8, 2016
Tampa, FL (Law Firm Newswire) April 8, 2016 – A U.S. postal worker from Tampa, Florida, has been charged with stealing Social Security benefit checks valued at more than $2 million from the mail.
The man was identified on March 18 as 47-year-old Stacy Darnell Mitchell. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mitchell could face a maximum of 15 years in federal prison. He was charged with theft of government property and theft of mail.
“Investigators have done well to find the alleged perpetrator of the crime,” said David W. Magann, a prominent attorney in Tampa, Florida, whose firm specializes in Social Security law. “The theft involved a large sum of money. It is a shame that the Social Security checks did not make it to people in need who deserve them.”
Authorities said Mitchell stole checks worth over $1,000 during his employment at the U.S. Postal Service Processing and Distribution Center facility in St. Petersburg, Florida. He worked there from January 2012 to October 2012, the period of the alleged theft.
Mitchell also had a partner who confessed to officials that he was part of the Social Security theft scheme. Richard Lee Anderson, 37, pleaded guilty in February. According to his plea agreement, Mitchell gave him benefit checks totaling at least $2.3 million. Anderson then sold them for a percentage of their face value and shared the money with Mitchell.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the Tampa Police Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.
“Recently there have a number of reports about Social Security benefit thefts around the country. Detecting fraud and abuse in the Social Security system may be challenging, but it is essential to maintaining the program’s integrity,” said Magann.
Learn more at http://www.floridasocialsecurity.com/
David W. Magann, P.A.
Main Office:
156 W. Robertson St.
Brandon, FL 33511
Call: (813) 657-9175
Tampa Office:
4012 Gunn Highway #165
Tampa, Florida 33618
- SSA is Heading For Delays Again After Recent Cutbacks & Years of Improvement
Service Cuts, Computer Problems Cloud Social Security’s 79th Birthday: The Social Security Administration should have reason to celebrate. After all, August 14, 2014, marked the 79th anniversary of the day when President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, which ushered in the landmark entitlement program. However, the agency’s birthday was a less than cheerful […] - SSA is Ramping Up Disability Reviews in 2014
The Social Security Disability Benefits Reform Act of 1984 (“DBRA 1984”) was passed by a unanimous, bipartisan vote in the House and Senate (99-0) in September 1984. President Reagan signed the law on October 9, 1984, when it became Pub. L. No. 98-460. One of the main provisions required “medical improvement” before benefits could be terminated where […] - Never Allow A Non-Attorney to Represent You At Your Social Security Hearing!
You should NOT have a non-attorney clerk at your hearing? This seems obvious, but several Florida law firms and any company identifying themselves as “Experts”, some who are advertising on TV, are sending non-attorney clerks to Social Security Hearings simply because its cheaper for them to do so rather than have an actual attorney appear. How in […] - Do Not Believe Non-Lawyer Websites Who Post 95% Success Rates!
Continually we see claimants who have had a non-lawyer representative whose company boasts a 95% success rate when in fact it is simply not true. No lawyer website can ethically advertise with success rates in percentages because it is misleading and yes, unethical. Each claim is different and if it is to good to be true, […] - Missing Your Social Security Statements? SSA’s New Policy
SSA has recently changed its policy regarding the availability of the annual Social Security Statement. Effective May 1, 2012, SSA will begin to provide real-time online access to the Statement with the release of the new “MySocialSecurity” portal, www.socialsecurity.gov/mystatement. In March 2011, due to budget issues, SSA suspended the mailing of all annual Social […]
