The Justice Department announced charges Tuesday against 17 people accused of defrauding Social Security of more than $1.3 million. Among them is a Chicago woman who was convicted of concealing her mother’s body in a freezer and is now accused of collecting the deceased woman’s retirement benefits.
The cases stem from a monthlong enforcement “surge” led by the DOJ’s newly created National Fraud Enforcement Division. The initiative is focused on fraud involving Social Security Administration (SSA) benefit programs, which the Trump administration has repeatedly identified as vulnerable to abuse.
“The Social Security Administration’s benefits programs are meant to safeguard America’s elderly and most vulnerable — not to bankroll fraudsters,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, who leads the DOJ’s fraud division.
“Every dollar stolen is a dollar taken from a retiree’s medicine, meals, or housing,” McDonald said. “These cases represent just a fraction of the fraud we are aggressively pursuing every day.
“The egregious facts uncovered in these cases underscore why our mission to combat fraud — large or small — is vital to protecting public trust and ensuring justice.”
Several of the defendants are accused of exploiting deceased or disabled relatives to improperly obtain tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer-funded benefits.
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The most striking case involves Eva Bratcher, who allegedly stole $21,402 from the SSA after hiding her mother’s body in a deep freezer in the garage for two years following her death.
“During those two years, Bratcher assumed her mother’s identity, collected her mother’s SSA benefits, and used her mother’s [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)] benefits,” the DOJ said. “[Bratcher] also allegedly used an alternative Social Security Number to steal additional SNAP benefits to which she was not entitled.”
Bratcher was sentenced in 2023 to 18 months in prison for concealing a death and possessing a fraudulent identification card.
She now faces three additional federal fraud charges. If convicted, she could receive a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
“President Trump and Vice President Vance have given the federal government an unprecedented mandate — and the tools and resources to back it up — to find fraud wherever it exists and root it out,” said SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano.
“At Social Security, we are putting that mandate into action. Working hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice, we are aggressively pursuing fraud, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and protecting Social Security.”
