More charged in Social Security fraud case

By Heather Lynn Peters
The Muskegon Chronicle

September 03, 2009

MUSKEGON (Michigan) -- Another batch of people have been arraigned for allegedly cashing duplicate Social Security disability checks in the Muskegon area.

Arraignments Thursday in Muskegon County's 60th District Court on misdemeanor and felony charges related to the largest Social Security disability fraud case in Muskegon County were:

Carmen Sheretta Allen
Maria Antonia Bartee
Denise Lynn Calvin
Lakeshia Nakiah Davis
Barbara Kay Gamble
Taniko Latrese Greer
Geraldine Lorra Hilton
Dennis Dexter Hudson
Reshonda Marie Jones
Shawniccka D. Lawton.
Marquise T. Longmire
Patricia Diana Molaud
Margaret Dale Paskel
Kiera Nicole Payne
Shirley Ann Payne
John Edward Post
Richard Merrill Sheehy
Josephine West
Sophia Ronyal Williams
Yolanda Ann Woodland

A total of 20 people were arraigned September 3 in Muskegon County 60th District Court on the fraud charges.

Altogether, 56 people face felony charges, meaning at least $1,000 allegedly was stolen in each case, while 153 are charged with misdemeanors.

Among those facing felony charges is Denise Lynn Calvin, 39, 1975 Hoyt, who is accused of cashing 47 duplicate Social Security disability checks over several years amounting to nearly $20,000, according to Muskegon County Prosecutor's Office Chief Trial Attorney Joseph J. Bader.

Calvin was arraigned on three counts of false pretenses over $1,000, but less than $20,000. She also was charged as a habitual offender and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, according to a court official.

Muskegon County Prosecutor Tony Tague and the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration announced Aug. 10 that the suspects have been charged with defrauding the federal government of more than $400,000.

The bust is believed to be one of the largest in Muskegon County history in terms of the number of suspects being charged.

More than 200 area residents are accused of cashing duplicate checks, in some cases multiple ones, after claiming their original checks were stolen or never received in the mail.

http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/09/more_charged_in_social_securit.html