A Massachusetts woman was ordered to repay roughly $100,000 after pleading guilty to years of fraudulently collecting Supplemental Security Income, and federal prosecutors say the case highlights broader enforcement efforts against benefit misuse.
Michelle M. DiSalvo, 53, faced federal sentencing in Worcester this week after admitting she received Social Security disability benefits she was not entitled to for about a decade. The court handed down a sentence of one day in custody deemed served, three years of supervised release, and restitution set at $100,080. Those penalties follow her guilty pleas to receipt of stolen government money or property, Social Security fraud, and making false statements.
Prosecutors say DiSalvo began collecting Supplemental Security Income in 2001, a program that requires applicants to meet strict income and resource limits. When an applicant is married and living with a spouse, the spouse’s income and resources are counted toward eligibility. Applicants who receive SSI carry a continuing obligation to report changes in marital status, living arrangements, household income, and resources to the Social Security Administration.
According to the government’s account, DiSalvo told the SSA in June 2014 that she was married but falsely claimed she and her husband had separated in September 2013, when they were actually living together. Investigators say that during five subsequent redetermination interviews between December 2014 and August 2023, she continued to conceal her living situation to keep receiving benefits. In October 2023 she allegedly submitted a lease that omitted her husband, an action the government says was intended to hide his income so she would remain eligible.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit, and the charges and sentence were announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston Field Division. DiSalvo was initially charged in February 2026 and entered guilty pleas in March 2026, formalizing the government’s allegations about the decade-long benefits scheme. The restitution amount reflects the government’s calculation of improper payments tied to the concealment.
Federal officials have pointed to this prosecution as part of a larger push to identify and stop benefit fraud in the district. On March 26, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced a Benefit & Voter Fraud Team meant to coordinate investigations and prosecutions across the district. That team, led by two senior prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, is described as a response to what officials called rampant fraud uncovered in Massachusetts involving misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits.
The Department of Justice later announced a related national initiative. On April 7, 2026, DOJ unveiled the National Fraud Enforcement Division to centralize efforts against fraud targeting federal programs. Officials framed that work as supporting a whole-of-government initiative to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in federal benefit programs, and noted coordination with a task force established at the White House level.
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Beyond enforcement, authorities say public tips remain a key tool for spotting fraud. State prosecutors and federal agents encourage people to report suspected benefit fraud, and a hotline for Massachusetts was provided for that purpose: 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621). Prosecutors emphasize that community reporting, combined with targeted investigations, helps recover funds and deter future abuse of programs intended for the truly eligible.
This prosecution underscores how eligibility rules hinge on accurate reporting of household finances and living arrangements, and how failing to disclose those facts can lead to criminal charges. Courts can impose restitution, supervised release, and even brief custodial sentences in cases where false statements and concealment of material facts enabled improper benefit payments. Federal authorities say they will continue to pursue cases where evidence shows deliberate attempts to game public benefit systems.
