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A woman who used stolen Social Security numbers and a stolen nursing license to obtain jobs while simultaneously receiving disability benefits has been indicted on federal fraud and identity theft charges.
Rochelle Perry, 49, is facing charges of five counts of Social Security number fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of Social Security disability benefits fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana announced Wednesday.
According to the indictment, between February 2020 and March 2022, Perry submitted five fraudulent applications for employment to nursing homes and assisted living facilities, using stolen Social Security numbers on each application. Meanwhile, she was also receiving Social Security disability insurance benefits under her true Social Security number.
Perry knew that her benefits would be either be reduced or eliminated if the Social Security Administration became aware that she was working, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleges. She also knew that she might not be able to pass an employment background check if she applied to a health care facility using her own Social Security number.
On some of the job applications, Perry used a stolen licensed practical nurse license number. She has never received any type of nursing license in Indiana.
Four of the five jobs Perry applied to were for LPN positions. She was hired to work as an LPN at one facility from January 2021 to April 2021, and at another facility from May 2021 to November 2021. At a third facility, she worked as a memory care program coordinator from February 2020 to April 2020.
Between December 2019 and December 2022, Perry received about $54,991.30 in Social Security disability benefits under her own Social Security number, according to the USAO.
On two occasions, once in 2021 and once in 2022, Perry submitted work activity reports to the Social Security Administration in which she claimed she had not earned any income since May 2019. She failed to report that she had been earning wages at the health care facilities.
If convicted on all counts, Perry faces up to five years in federal prison.
The FBI, Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Indiana Attorney General’s Office – Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Indianapolis police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Miller is prosecuting the case.
Perry is being represented by Indiana Federal Community Defenders, according to online court records. An automatic not guilty plea was entered Wednesday and trial is currently scheduled to begin July 31 before Judge James Patrick Hanlon.
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