MADISON - A Monroe woman who obtained nearly $16,000 in Social Security benefits for her children, despite some being in foster care, was sentenced Tuesday, March 19 in federal court to two years in prison and ordered to make restitution.
Kimberly Costa, 47, a/k/a Beverly Spohn, was charged with making false statements on Social Security Administration benefit applications between June 2007 and August 2011 that allowed her to collect $15,982 to which she otherwise wasn't entitled.
One statement on an application involved falsely stating a minor child lived with her from March 2010 to February 2011 and the SSA benefits were spent or saved for the child.
Also, while Costa was in the Green County Jail for failure to support a child, she falsely stated that one child was living with Costa's live-in boyfriend and 24-year-old son and all SSA benefits were being spent for the child.
"Stealing Social Security benefits is wrong; stealing it from your son and putting it in your pocket is just much worse," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke.
Costa's attorney, Federal Defender Erika Bierma acknowledged that her client was using some of the stolen benefits to temporarily slake her alcohol addiction. Combined with untreated mental health issues stemming from an abusive and neglected childhood, Costa needs treatment more than punishment now, Bierma said.
"A half-way house is somewhere she can deal with the skeletons in the closet, the poor choices she's made in relationships," said Bierma.
Costa, who just finished a jail sentence on Sunday for failure to support a child, told Judge Barbara Crabb that her "mind has been clouded for many years ... but I look at this as an opportunity to get my life together."
Crabb said a two-year sentence was warranted because Costa took the benefits for purely selfish reasons.
"You need to get sober and get some understanding of yourself and the choices you make of men who are so mentally and emotionally destructive to you. You have the ability to live a different kind of life and the people in the prison system can help you," she said.
Costa has five children, three of whom have been in foster care which lead to the offenses in federal court.
Kimberly Costa, 47, a/k/a Beverly Spohn, was charged with making false statements on Social Security Administration benefit applications between June 2007 and August 2011 that allowed her to collect $15,982 to which she otherwise wasn't entitled.
One statement on an application involved falsely stating a minor child lived with her from March 2010 to February 2011 and the SSA benefits were spent or saved for the child.
Also, while Costa was in the Green County Jail for failure to support a child, she falsely stated that one child was living with Costa's live-in boyfriend and 24-year-old son and all SSA benefits were being spent for the child.
"Stealing Social Security benefits is wrong; stealing it from your son and putting it in your pocket is just much worse," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Burke.
Costa's attorney, Federal Defender Erika Bierma acknowledged that her client was using some of the stolen benefits to temporarily slake her alcohol addiction. Combined with untreated mental health issues stemming from an abusive and neglected childhood, Costa needs treatment more than punishment now, Bierma said.
"A half-way house is somewhere she can deal with the skeletons in the closet, the poor choices she's made in relationships," said Bierma.
Costa, who just finished a jail sentence on Sunday for failure to support a child, told Judge Barbara Crabb that her "mind has been clouded for many years ... but I look at this as an opportunity to get my life together."
Crabb said a two-year sentence was warranted because Costa took the benefits for purely selfish reasons.
"You need to get sober and get some understanding of yourself and the choices you make of men who are so mentally and emotionally destructive to you. You have the ability to live a different kind of life and the people in the prison system can help you," she said.
Costa has five children, three of whom have been in foster care which lead to the offenses in federal court.