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NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Betty Arrington a/k/a “Betty Callie Arrington,” a/k/a “Betty Francis C Miller,” a/k/a “Betty Miller” (“Arrington”), age 72, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on March 19, 2021 with theft of government funds.

According to the Indictment, Arrington engaged in a 35-year multifaceted scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration (“SSA”). From 1984 through 2019, Arrington intentionally used a Social Security number (“SSN”) not assigned to her by the Commissioner of the SSA in order to conceal her earnings from employment in the New Orleans area. Arrington’s fraudulent use of a SSN, in addition to the concealment of program eligibility factors and the intentional submission of false statements to SSA, aided Arrington in fraudulently gaining and maintaining Supplemental Security Income Disability benefits totaling approximately $164,270.90.

Arrington is charged in the Indictment with one count of theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. The maximum penalties that may be imposed upon conviction are up to ten years imprisonment; a fine of $250,000; up to three years of supervised release; and a $100 mandatory special assessment.

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General for its work in investigating this case. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an Indictment is merely an accusation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh.