Woman Gets Prison, Restitution For Bilking Social Security

BrocktonPost
BOSTON--A Hyannis woman was sentenced last week to federal prison for stealing from the Social Security Administration.
U.S. District Judge Joseph L. Tauro sentenced Sylvia Taylor, 51, of Hyannis, to 15 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In October 2011, Taylor pleaded guilty to three counts of theft of government property for taking $74,643 in disability benefits.
Along with more than one year in prison, Taylor has been ordered to pay restitution to the SSA.
Between 1992 and 2010, Taylor had relationships with two different men who were entitled to Social Security disability payments.
From these relationships, Taylor had three children who were determined by the SSA to be eligible for auxiliary disability benefits through their fathers.
Because the children were minors, Taylor became their representative payee and received the payments on their behalf.
Soon after the benefits started, each of the three children began living with others, making Taylor no longer eligible to be their representative payee.
Taylor never notified the SSA, and for several years, she continued to receive the benefits and use them for her own purposes.