Woman pleads guilty to using boyfriend's disability money after he went missing

CONCORD - A 52-year-old Middleton woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to access device fraud, the state's U.S.. Attorneys Office announced on Wednesday.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Michelle Marone's boyfriend went missing in April 2019. Her boyfriend was receiving Social Security Disability Insurance payments that were deposited onto a debit card.

The Social Security Administration was unaware of the boyfriend's disappearance and continued to deposit funds onto the card each month. In June of 2020, Marone entered her boyfriend's personal identifying information into an automated dialing system and obtained a replacement debit card, which she used over the next year to access the stored funds. She withdrew most of the funds from ATMs in Farmington and Rochester. Overall, Marone obtained $23,591.50 in benefits that she was not entitled to receive.

"This defendant fraudulently obtained thousands of dollars in Social Security Disability benefits that she was not entitled to receive," said Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley. "By accessing benefits that she was not entitled to, she committed a serious federal crime. We work closely with the Social Security Administration's Inspector General to identify and prosecute those who steal Social Security benefits that are intended for individuals with disabilities."

"After her boyfriend went missing, Ms. Marone intentionally took steps to redirect his Social Security benefits for her own personal gain," said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. "We will continue to pursue and hold those accountable who defraud SSA. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen for prosecuting this case."

Marone will be sentenced in February.