The Department of Justice has charged 17 people with stealing more than $1.3 million in Social Security benefits, including a Chicago woman who hid her deceased mother’s body in a garage refrigerator for two years while collecting her mother’s federal payments. The charges were announced Tuesday as part of the DOJ’s expanding Social Security fraud crackdown.
The defendants are accused of exploiting deceased or disabled relatives to illegally divert benefits meant for the elderly and vulnerable. The cases span multiple states and involve hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen taxpayer money.
Eva Bratcher and the Most Disturbing Allegation
Eva Bratcher, of Chicago, faces new federal fraud charges after prosecutors say she concealed her mother’s death and collected $21,402 in Social Security Administration benefits over a two-year period. According to the DOJ, Bratcher assumed her mother’s identity, used her mother’s SNAP benefits, and also allegedly used an alternative Social Security number to steal additional food assistance she was not entitled to receive.
Bratcher was already sentenced in 2023 to 18 months in prison for possessing a fraudulent ID card and concealing a death. The new charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if she is convicted.
Other Defendants and the Scale of the Schemes
David Darling, of New York, allegedly began withdrawing money from his deceased brother’s ATM card the day after his brother died. Because the Social Security Administration was never notified of the death, payments continued flowing into the account. Darling allegedly accumulated $109,740 in unlawfully obtained benefits over the course of the scheme.
In Michigan, Laura Whisenant is accused of misappropriating nearly $121,000 in benefits belonging to her mentally disabled uncle over a period of seven years, while he allegedly lived in inhumane conditions. Social Security fraud case details released by the DOJ outline similar allegations against the remaining defendants in the case.
Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald, who leads the DOJ’s newly formed fraud division, was direct in describing the stakes. “The Social Security Administration’s benefits programs are meant to safeguard America’s elderly and most vulnerable, not to bankroll fraudsters,” he said. “Every dollar stolen is a dollar taken from a retiree’s medicine, meals, or housing.”
What Comes Next for the DOJ’s Fraud Division
McDonald made clear that these 17 cases represent only a portion of a broader enforcement push. “These cases represent just a fraction of the fraud we are aggressively pursuing every day,” he said. “The egregious facts uncovered in these cases underscore why our mission to combat fraud, large or small, is vital to protecting public trust and ensuring justice.”
The charges are part of the Trump administration’s wider effort to root out federal benefit fraud across the country. The DOJ’s fraud division, which is leading the investigations, is expected to announce additional cases as its work continues.
