Philadelphia woman charged with stealing almost $100K in Social Security benefits meant for homicide victim found buried in basement

She stands accused of concealing the death of a woman, referred to by the Department of Justice as E.W., to steal her disability benefits totaling approximately $99,447.90.

Here are all the details officials have released so far, plus information on how to prevent Social Security fraud and protect yourself from identity theft.

Social Security fraud

Per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, E.W.’s body was discovered buried beneath six to eight feet of concrete in the basement of a Philadelphia home where she had lived. The victim’s full name was withheld by the attorney’s office.

The last time she was seen alive was on or about December 12, 2012, when she attended an appointment with a service provider that she’d visited regularly since 2004, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

E.W., who received disability insurance benefits due to an intellectual disorder, “did not appear” at her next appointment — allegedly scheduled for Jan. 2013 — and never contacted the health care provider again.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that E.W.’s remains were unearthed in Dec. 2022, a decade after she was last seen. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office and a forensic anthropologist examined E.W.’s remains and concluded the cause of death was blunt trauma to the head and neck and the manner of death was homicide.

The indictment against Sadowski accuses the 37-year-old of illegally accessing E.W.’s bank account — using her name, date of birth and Social Security number — to steal almost $100,000 in Social Security benefits for her own personal use.

If convicted, Sadowski faces a maximum possible sentence of 107 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $1,750,000 fine, and a $700 special assessment.

Protect yourself from identity theft

As a formerly vulnerable and now deceased individual, E.W. may have been an easy target for identity theft and Social Security fraud. Everyone is susceptible to fraud, no matter how proactive you are at keeping your personal information safe.