FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 15, 2008
SANDRA BOWMAN SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings, on May 15, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, SANDRA BOWMAN, a resident of Livingston, appeared for sentencing. BOWMAN was sentenced to a term of:
- Probation: 5 years
- Special Assessment: $100
- Restitution: $13,091.08
BOWMAN was sentenced in connection with her guilty plea to wire fraud.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
From October of 1989 through February of 2004, BOWMAN obtained money from the Social Security Administration (SSA), in that she applied for Supplemental Security Income benefits and provided information initially and through updates to continue to receive benefits, while making false representations that she lived alone or only with her child, when in fact she was living with her common-law husband, hereafter referred to as "M.B.", throughout this time period.
BOWMAN also falsely represented that no other person gave to her or paid for food, rent, taxes, fuel, gas, water or other bills; when in fact, "M.B." earned income and paid some or all of such bills.
In February of 2004, BOWMAN contacted the Social Security Administration and reported that she had in fact been in a common-law marriage with "M.B." since 1982 and that she had filed for divorce.
On October 13, 2004, a District Court judge stated in his Findings of Fact, and Conclusions of Law and an Order that BOWMAN and "M.B." had entered into a common-law marriage in 1984, and that BOWMAN and "M.B." co-mingled monies from all sources, including SSI funds, for mutual living expenses and building a home and developing surrounding acreage. The court further found that the false statements to the SSA benefitted the couple as a whole, not just BOWMAN.
Evidence would have further shown that in interviews with BOWMAN and in the dissolution proceedings, BOWMAN stated that she did not disclose the relationship with "M.B." or the financial support received from "M.B." because "M.B." advised her not to make such a disclosure as it was none of the business of the SSA. BOWMAN further admitted that she still knew the relationship and financial support should have been reported to the SSA. Interviews and dissolution proceeding testimony also reflected that "M.B." or family members sold livestock owned by BOWMAN for her in order that her name not be associated with the proceeds.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that BOWMAN will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, BOWMAN does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Victoria L. Francis prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by the Inspector General's Office for the Social Security Administration.
