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Friday, May 18, 2012

Seattle Couple Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Welfare Programs While Living in Luxury

A well-off Seattle couple who lived in a $1.2 million waterfront home and purchased expensive items like jewelry while collecting tens of thousands of dollars in welfare has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds.

David Silverstein, 60, a chiropractor, and Lyudmila Shimonova, 53, his live-in partner, pleaded guilty Thursday to theft of government funds and defrauding state and federal benefit programs, the Department of Justice said in a release.

The couple will pay back two and a half times the amount they stole, including more than $261,000 in restitution fees and an additional $216,441 civil penalty to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Social Security Administration,and the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

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