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Gardner woman charged with Social Security fraud



  • A Gardner woman has been charged in federal court in Worcester with fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits for about a decade, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts.

    Michelle M. DiSalvo, 53, is charged with 1 count of receipt of stolen government money or property, 1 count of Social Security fraud and 1 count of making false statements. She will appear in U.S. District Court in Worcester at a later date.

    According to charging documents, DiSalvo allegedly received approximately $93,640 in Social Security disability benefits between October 2013 and October 2023 that she knew she was not entitled to receive. Prosecutors allege she concealed material information from the Social Security Administration to fraudulently obtain the benefits.

    Authorities further allege that DiSalvo submitted a fraudulent lease agreement to the Social Security Administration in October 2023. The charging document states that DiSalvo omitted her husband from the lease because she knew that reporting she lived with him would have affected the amount of benefits she received due to his income and resources.

    The charge of receipt of stolen government money or property carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The Social Security fraud and false statement charges each carry potential sentences of up to 5 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release and similar fines.

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