Gardner Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security Disability Fraud

BOSTON — A woman from Gardner pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Worcester on May 12 2026 to one count of Social Security fraud.

The defendant admitted she unlawfully collected disability benefits administered by the Social Security Administration. The program pays monthly cash benefits to more than 8.8 million disabled workers and more than 1.4 million disabled adult children and widows nationwide who cannot engage in substantial gainful activity because of a medically determinable physical or mental impairment that has lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months.

The plea changes her legal status from defendant to convicted individual. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. Under federal sentencing guidelines the court must order full restitution to the Social Security Administration for all benefits received through the fraudulent scheme. The exact amount will be calculated before sentencing.

The conviction requires the Social Security Administration to review and likely terminate any ongoing benefits tied to the fraudulent claim. It also obligates the agency to pursue recovery of the overpayment through administrative offset of any future federal payments the defendant may receive.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts will submit a sentencing memorandum that details the loss amount and any cooperation provided. The case forms part of routine federal enforcement actions that recover improper Social Security payments each year.

This marks the latest guilty plea secured by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts for Social Security disability fraud. The Department of Justice has pursued similar cases across multiple districts targeting individuals who misrepresent their medical condition or work activity to continue receiving benefits.