Federal prosecutors have charged four people from the Chester area with a scheme that allegedly combined sexual abuse, kidnapping and benefits fraud targeting two intellectually disabled women. Michael Swanson, 43, David Dziobczynski, 54, and Caitlyn Eusden Swanson, 26, all of Chester, Pennsylvania, along with Nicole Swanson, 39, of Upper Darby, were named in a 39-count indictment unsealed this month.
The four defendants face charges in an alleged scheme to gain control of the victims’ government benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The indictment alleges all four defendants conspired to commit wire and mail fraud and related offenses by seeking to obtain and steal Social Security Administration and SNAP benefits from the two women, who prosecutors say are intellectually disabled. The alleged victims were 30 and 27 years old, as CBS News Philadelphia reported, citing the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office.
How the Alleged Scheme Began
Investigators say Michael Swanson and Nicole Swanson enticed the victims to move in with them as part of a family group, according to the indictment. CBS News Philadelphia reported that Michael Swanson manipulated the 30-year-old woman into moving into a Chester home with his family, a home that was owned by Dziobczynski. The women also reportedly lived at other locations during the course of the alleged scheme.
Officials allege Michael Swanson increased his control over the victims through a combination of tactics. Nicole Swanson, Michael Swanson’s ex-wife according to police, along with Caitlyn Swanson — who is in a relationship with Michael Swanson — allegedly helped enforce that control through verbal abuse, physical abuse, using children to monitor the women, restricting their access to food, and isolating them from loved ones, per the indictment.
Allegations of Sexual Abuse and Benefits Theft
Court documents allege Michael Swanson engaged in illegal sexual acts with both women despite their lacking the capacity to consent. CBS News Philadelphia reported that one of the women told investigators she was sexually assaulted twice a day. Prosecutors allege Nicole Swanson encouraged the women to engage in sexual relationships with Michael Swanson and, per investigators, sometimes participated in sexual acts with the victims herself, a characterization echoed by The Philadelphia Inquirer, which reported that the defendants engaged in sex with the women despite their lacking the capacity to consent.
The indictment alleges the defendants also took control of bank accounts holding the women’s Social Security benefits. The Inquirer’s reporting states that in July 2023, Michael Swanson wired more than $20,000 from one victim’s account into his own.
Kidnapping Charges and a Move to Florida
Michael Swanson and Nicole Swanson faced kidnapping charges in the earlier state case. The women were moved from Pennsylvania to Tallahassee, Florida, where abuse continued.
Court Appearances and an Earlier State Case
The federal case follows earlier state charges against Michael and Nicole Swanson that included rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, theft and conspiracy.
In September, a judge declared Michael Swanson incompetent to stand trial in that state proceeding, the newspaper reported. Accounts of when the investigation began also differ: CBS News Philadelphia reported the probe started on January 3, 2024, after a family member contacted police, while 6ABC reported the same tip came in on January 3, 2023.
A Pattern Advocates Say Is Common
Cases like this one reflect a broader pattern documented by advocacy groups. People with disabilities accounted for 26% of all nonfatal violent-crime victimizations between 2017 and 2019 while making up only about 12% of the population, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. The group reports that during that period, the rate of violent victimization against people with disabilities was nearly four times the rate for people without disabilities, and that people with cognitive disabilities faced the highest victimization rate among all disability categories measured.
RAINN also found that only 19% of rapes or sexual assaults against people with disabilities were reported to police, compared with 36% of such crimes against people without disabilities. The organization attributes that gap to barriers including communication challenges, dependency on caregivers, misconceptions and disbelief, and a lack of education, and notes that perpetrators often exploit positions of power, authority or dependency to commit abuse.
NBC10 Philadelphia reported on the case. Anyone affected by sexual violence can find resources through the National Sexual Violence Resource Center or by calling the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.
