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."