Mitchell Allen Artrip, Representative Payee Fraud, Kentucky 2019

Ashland Man Sentenced to Prison for Stealing from Social Security Recipients

ASHLAND, Ky. - In a shocking case of elder abuse, Mitchell Allen Artrip, 68, has pleaded guilty to representative payee fraud in federal court. Artrip, a part-owner of Artrip Personal Care Home in Ashland, Kentucky, was entrusted with managing funds for individuals living in his care home.

Between November 2013 and November 2017, Artrip received a total of $241,142 in representative payee benefits from the Social Security Administration on behalf of more than twenty individuals. However, he spent a staggering $97,806 of those funds on personal expenses, including his rental properties and farm.

Artrip's actions were brought to light by the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies working together to protect the Commonwealth's elderly population from fraud and abuse. The investigation was directed by the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General.

The defendant has agreed to pay $97,806 in restitution to the victims, with the funds to be divided among them according to the plea agreement. Artrip must also sell the personal care home and withdraw as the representative payee for any current Social Security beneficiaries within sixty days.

Artrip is scheduled to be sentenced on January 24, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. in federal court in Ashland. He faces up to five years in prison. The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and applicable federal statutes will be considered in determining his sentence.

Mitchell Allen Artrip, 68, is accused of representative payee fraud, a federal crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. He received $241,142 in representative payee benefits for individuals living in his care home, but spent $97,806 on personal expenses.

The defendant has agreed to pay $97,806 in restitution to the victims, with the funds to be divided among them according to the plea agreement. Artrip must also sell the personal care home and withdraw as the representative payee for any current Social Security beneficiaries within sixty days.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edky/pr/ashland-man-pleads-guilty-representative-payee-fraud