East Chicago Woman Sentenced to 12 Months and 1 Day in Prison For Wire Fraud
HAMMOND – On March 18, 2026, Rose Henderson, 62 years old, of East Chicago, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Henderson was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison and ordered to pay $364,779 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, in August 1989, Henderson’s mother began receiving social security benefits at the age of 62. Six years later, Henderson became her mother’s representative payee, and in that capacity, she had a fiduciary duty to use the benefits for her mother’s care and support. The following year, Henderson’s mother passed away, but Henderson did not notify the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) of her death. Henderson continued collecting her mother’s benefits for more than two decades. During that time, she periodically submitted false paperwork to the SSA claiming that her mother was still alive and that she was using the funds for her mother’s benefit. Instead, she spent the money on herself, including multiple cruises, frequent trips to Las Vegas, and large cash withdrawals at casinos in northwest Indiana. In total, between September 1996 until March 2021, Henderson defrauded the SSA out of $364,779.
“Henderson stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from a government assistance program designed to help the most vulnerable members of society and used it for decades to support a lifestyle that is beyond the reach of many members of the community,” said United States Attorney Mildred. “Through the hard work of the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern Division, the Defendant was arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced. We will, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to hold accountable those who defraud government programs and put critical benefits at risk.”
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven J. Lupa and Zachary D. Heater.
