Jacquelyn Denise Young, Federal Fund Theft, Tennessee 2019

MEMPHIS, TN – A former systems administrator for the United States Social Security Administration is paying the price for a five-year scheme to line her own pockets. Jacquelyn Denise Young, also known as Jacqueline Harvey, 56, has been sentenced for stealing $7,224.02 in federal funds, a brazen abuse of public trust revealed by a federal investigation.

According to court documents, Young, formerly employed by the SSA’s Office of Disability Adjudication Review from approximately 2009 until 2014, systematically misused government-issued gas cards. These cards were intended for official business travel in government vehicles, but Young repeatedly filled up her own vehicle with taxpayer money, racking up the $7,224.02 debt over the course of five years.

The scheme finally unraveled, and on December 17, 2018, Young pled guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee announced the sentencing today, a hollow victory considering the length of time the theft went undetected. On April 25, 2019, United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris handed down a sentence of time served, followed by two years of supervised release. Four months of that supervised release will be served on home detention, monitored electronically.

But the punishment doesn’t end there. Young was also ordered to pay restitution to the General Services Administration and forfeiture totaling $7,224.04 – essentially forcing her to return the stolen funds. A $500 fine was added for good measure, a slap on the wrist for a calculated betrayal of public trust.

“One of the primary functions of this office is to protect the United States Treasury, and the ability of the Social Security Administration to provide efficient public services,” stated U.S. Attorney Dunavant. “Fraudulent schemes and crimes of dishonesty do not pay, and will be exposed.” Grimy Times wonders why it took five years to expose this one.

The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, proving that even within the bureaucracy, some oversight still exists. Assistant U.S. Attorney Murre Foster prosecuted the case, bringing Young’s five-year grift to a close. This case serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly small acts of fraud can have significant consequences, and that those entrusted with public funds will be held accountable – eventually.

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