A Lithonia woman told the Social Security Administration her anxiety and depression were so debilitating that she spent most of her time in her room and could not work.
In reality, 31-year-old Valencia D. Williams was an exotic dancer who spent nights stripping at an adult club under the name “Chrissy the Doll,” federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Williams recently pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud after it was determined she received $60,000 that she was not entitled to. She applied for the benefits in July 2010, citing major depression and a panic disorder that prevented her from working or even leaving her home, investigators said.
By the fall of 2014, however, Williams had taken a job at Stroker’s Adult Entertainment Club in Clarkston, regularly dancing until 4 a.m., authorities said. Records show she obtained adult entertainment permits from the county each year through 2018.
“The Social Security Administration’s (Supplemental Security Income) program is intended for individuals whose income is below the federal poverty guidelines, who are truly disabled, and cannot engage in work activity,” U.S. Attorney BJay Pak said. “Williams was able to work and therefore she was not disabled. Moreover, the income she received by working would have likely rendered her ineligible for SSI. By getting SSI when she did not qualify, she stole money from the most needy members of our communities: the poor and the disabled.”
Williams’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 26.
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