Berwick woman sentenced for defrauding SSI of $118G over 12 years

BERWICK, Maine - A Berwick woman was sentenced on Thursday for failing to report her husband's presence in her home for 12 years, enabling her to wrongfully receive SSI benefits on behalf of her children.

Suzanne Hercock, 47, was sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $118,251 in restitution, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office. Hercock pleaded guilty on May 24.

According to court records, from about December 2008 to February 2020, Hercock lied to the Social Security Administration about the presence of her husband, her children's father, in the household, to fraudulently collect Supplemental Security Income payments.

In multiple benefit eligibility reviews, Hercock falsely represented to the SSA that she and her husband lived separately. She failed to disclose her husband's presence and income despite knowing that she was required to and that it would affect her eligibility to receive benefits.