Pubdate: Sun, 06 Sep 2009 Source: Williamsport Sun-Gazette (PA) Copyright: 2009 Williamsport Sun-Gazette Contact: http://www.sungazette.com/asp/forms/letters_form.asp Website: http://www.sungazette.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3630 Author: R.A. Walker DRUG USERS TELL OF SOCIAL SECURITY ABUSE There was disturbing testimony this past week during the drug trial in U.S. Middle District Court of now-admitted drug dealer Dorothy Robinson, not the least of which were revelations about Social Security disability benefits fueling drug habits and money intended for the care of children being siphoned off to pay drug tabs. The testimony of at least three witnesses included statements about turning over Social Security money and checks to pay for drugs supplied on credit, often at jacked-up prices. The trial ended with a guilty plea avoiding a possible life sentence for Robinson, had she been found guilty of all the alleged drug offenses, and she is protected from further prosecution in connection with the drug conspiracy detailed during trial; but the plea agreement she signed made clear she and others involved in the conspiracy are not protected from action by the Internal Revenue Service or Social Security Administration. According to www.social security.gov, "the penalty upon conviction for violation of the penal provisions of the Social Security Act, or one of the related provisions of the Federal Criminal Code (includes) a fine, imprisonment, or both." Robinson was listed as a payee for at least two of her alleged drug clients, and the Social Security handbook describes the possible "penalties for misused Social Security or SSI funds (by) a representative payee." According to the handbook, such cases can be referred for criminal prosecution, and "the penalty upon conviction for a payee's misuse of funds may be a fine of up to $250,000, imprisonment up to 10 years, or both." In addition, "when the case is not criminally prosecuted, SSA may impose a civil monetary penalty up to $5,000 for each payment or partial payment misused and an assessment of not more than twice the amount of the misused benefits." Whether Robinson or any of her customers face potential repercussions for the use of SSI money remains to be seen, but testimony indicated Robinson was listed as payee for some of her drug customers at 725 High St., an alleged rooming house for crack users witnesses claimed Robinson and co-defendant Earl Sampson controlled. Witness and co-defendant Karen Sampson testified Robinson handled her check, deducting her drug bills; and prosecution witness Guy Tedesco described overhearing a conversation during which Robinson allegedly explained that a deaf-mute tenant of the High Street property could not buy his drugs anywhere else. "You can't go anywhere else to get drugs ... We get your (disability) check," Robinson was quoted as saying to the man. According to Sampson, Robinson, also known as "Mae Mae" like her mother and grandmother before her, was her designated payee for Social Security disability payments related to "seizure (and) bipolar disorder and stuff like that," as well as the care of her four children. She claimed Robinson paid the bills in the beginning but as time went on much of the "little over $3,000" she received monthly went to pay for her crack cocaine habit, often at higher than normal prices because she was allowed drugs on credit. In addition, Sampson said she and others regularly worked cleaning Robinson's properties in exchange for drugs, and crack rooming house resident Tony Smith said he did maintenance work for Robinson in exchange for drugs and gave co-defendant Earl Sampson (the husband of Karen Sampson) his disability money. He said Sampson, who is scheduled to go on trial next month, would give him about $50 in spending money each month and keep the rest to cover what he allegedly owed for drugs. Sampson said almost all his check went to his wife and Robinson. "I was eating (at) this soup kitchen," he said, "(and) sometimes Dorothy would buy me food." - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart