Utah woman sentenced to 12 months home detention for disability benefits fraud
Salt Lake City, Utah – In a shocking case of deception, Hillary Brown, a 41-year-old Pilates instructor from Taylorsville, Utah, was sentenced to 12 months’ home detention and ordered to pay $148,310.25 in restitution for defrauding the Social Security Administration (SSA) and other government agencies for approximately 15 years.
On July 9, 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to wire fraud before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. She was then sentenced before Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam on July 9, 2024.
According to court documents and statements made at Brown’s sentencing hearing, Brown deceived SSA to fraudulently obtain funds from the United States by providing false and exaggerated information. She falsely claimed she was experiencing debilitating effects from an October 2008 stroke to such a degree that she had right side paralysis and could not work.
The examining doctor documented Brown’s self-reports that she was struggling with brain damage during a psychiatric assessment on December 15, 2009. However, just days prior, Brown completed upper-level college coursework with As and Bs. SSA granted Brown Title II disability benefits on December 16, 2009, unaware of this mismatch in information.
Over the course of 15 years, Brown continued to receive disability benefits and did not report any improvements in function to SSA. She graduated from college, obtained various certifications, including a Pilates Mat Teacher Training program diploma and a certification indicating she completed 850 hours of requirements and testing to become a certified Pilates instructor. Meanwhile, Brown continued to teach physically active classes and post about them on social media.
SSA agents observed and recorded hours of footage documenting Brown’s capable lifestyle and active Pilates teaching during the winter of 2022-2023. It became clear that Brown was never eligible for benefits and, in fact, evidence from 2009 to 2023 indicates that Brown was highly functional within months of her stroke.
“Since 2009, Ms. Brown defrauded the government and stole from benefit programs that provide a critical safety net to those who truly need them and legally apply,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah. “My office, and our law enforcement partners, are committed to protecting these important benefits for their rightful recipients and holding to account those who fraudulently drain them.”
Brown was sentenced to 12 months’ home detention, five years’ probation, and ordered to pay $148,310.25 in restitution for her crimes.
Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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