A Philadelphia woman, 37-year-old Holly Sadowski, faces fraud charges for allegedly hiding the death of a woman, referred to as E.W., to steal her Social Security benefits. The indictment states that E.W.'s body was found buried under concrete in the basement of her former home, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that the alleged fraud occurred between December 12, 2012, when E.W. was last seen, and continued for several years. E.W., who had received disability insurance benefits from the SSA for an intellectual disorder, was fraudulently claimed by Sadowski, who received about $99,447.90 meant for the deceased.
DNA analysis confirmed the remains were E.W., and the medical examiner, with a forensic anthropologist, determined she died from blunt trauma to the head and neck, ruling it a homicide. The death likely occurred four to ten years before the body was found. Sadowski faces charges of Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft for using E.W.'s personal information to access her SSA benefit funds.
If convicted, Sadowski could face up to 107 years in prison, a $1,750,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $700 special assessment. The case is being pursued by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Philadelphia Police Department and is prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Curran and Laura J. Bradbury. Sadowski is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
