United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

BRIDGEPORT MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR SOCIAL SECURITY THEFT

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RALPH BOLLING, age 57, of 134 Atlantic Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut, was sentenced today to 16 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. In proceedings this morning in New Haven federal court, Senior United States District Judge Ellen Bree Burns also ordered BOLLING to pay full criminal restitution in the amount of $62,280. BOLLING was released on bond until September 14, 2004, when he must report directly to federal prison.

On January 14, 2004, BOLLING pleaded guilty to the theft of Social Security benefits from a bank account of his deceased aunt, Ida Mae Hordges, from approximately January 1993 through May 2000. Although BOLLING served as the informant on his aunt's death certificate, he failed to report her death to the Social Security Administration or to Fleet Bank where his aunt had an account. Fleet Bank account records confirmed that ATM withdrawals continued for more than seven years after the death of BOLLING's aunt. BOLLING admitted that he possessed his aunt's only ATM card and that after his aunt's death he had used her ATM card to withdraw Social Security benefits. BOLLING then converted the money to his own use.

"Federal benefits are awarded to qualified beneficiaries and theft of those benefits undermines the integrity of the Social Security system," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated.

This case was investigated by special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General and was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Penny Collender.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov