Kansas City woman convicted in Social Security fraud scheme

A federal jury has convicted Divianys Morales-Alvarez, 50, of a scheme involving the theft of government benefits, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The case originated from a 2024 report to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General regarding a beneficiary living in Cuba.

Although the U.S. Treasury prohibits government payments to individuals residing in Cuba, the Social Security Administration continued to deposit monthly benefits into a U.S. bank account held jointly by Morales-Alvarez and her mother. Between February 2020 and September 2024, more than $66,000 was deposited into the account.

Morales-Alvarez faces a potential sentence of up to 30 years in prison. While she claimed a portion of the funds was sent to Cuba to assist her mother, evidence indicated she used the majority of the money for personal expenses, including the purchase of a vehicle and the payment of delinquent real estate taxes.