MACON COUNTY COUPLE INDICTED ON CHARGES OF STEALING SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS

St. Louis, MO: Donald and Mary Hicks were indicted on charges involving the theft of $86,534 of Social Security Disability benefits from a couple in their care, United States Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway and Macon Police Chief Steve Olinger announced today.

According to the indictment, in September 1998, Donald Hicks was selected as a representative payee by the Social Security Administration for a disabled couple who were recipients of Social Security Disability benefits. The indictment alleges that between September 1998 and continuing through February 2006, Donald Hicks endorsed their checks and the money was stolen by Donald and Mary Hicks. On April 1, 2006, in order to conceal the conspiracy, Donald and Mary Hicks made false statements and provided false expense documents to the Macon Missouri Police Department, and in May, lied to Social Security Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents about these false documents.

DONALD HICKS and MARY HICKS were each indicted on one felony count of theft of government funds, one felony count of misuse of social security money, one felony count of filing false statements to a federal agency and one felony count of conspiracy to steal government funds and make false statements to the Social Security Administration and the FBI. The Hicks' were indicted Thursday, January 31, 2008, by a federal grand jury in St. Louis. They were arrested earlier today and will appear in federal court today.

If convicted, theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000; each of the other three counts carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. Restitution is mandatory on all counts.

Macon Police Chief Steve Olinger stated, "These indictments are the result of a two-year long investigation by our department, FBI and Social Security Administration. The allegations were brought to the attention of the Macon Police Department in February 2006 by a family member who found the victims to be living in unsanitary living conditions." Olinger went on to say that "the diligence and persistence of the investigators have been second to none and I commend the officers from our department that became involved with the case, as well as agents of the FBI and the Social Security Administration."

In addition to the Macon Police Department, Hanaway commended the work performed on the case by the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, the Kirksville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Reap, who is handling the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations, and each defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.