Probation for Woman Who Used Stamford Passport Office in Social Security Fraud Scheme

A woman has been sentenced to three years probation after she pleaded guilty to making a false statement, after illegally entering the United States and obtaining more than $76,000 in Social Security benefits, according to Connecticut’s U.S. Attorney.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced Friday that Suzanne Dianne Bent, 55, of the Bronx, NY, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to three years of probation for passport fraud.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Bent is believed to be a native of Jamaica who was illegally brought to the U.S. by her grandmother in 1969. Bent has a criminal history that includes multiple convictions for theft-related crimes, and she has used multiple aliases and dates of birth during her life, according to Daly’s office.

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On April 1, 2013, Bent applied for a U.S. passport at the Stamford Passport Agency. As proof of citizenship, she provided a fraudulent New York City birth certificate and other documentation.

The investigation revealed that Bent had fraudulently obtained a Social Security number and, between August 2004 and March 2013, received approximately $76,365 in benefits from the Social Security Administration, Supplemental Security Income Program based on a claimed mental or physical disability.

Bent was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $76,365.35.

Bent was arrested on Dec. 5, 2014. On July 20, 2015, she pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in an application for a U.S. passport.

At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Bent was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security; the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations; and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Slater.