A woman from Franklin County, Missouri, has been indicted on charges of disability fraud amounting to $174,000. Starr Lumos, also known as Starr Rodrigue, 54, was charged in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis on April 16. The charges include one count of theft of government money and one count of concealing information from the Social Security Administration regarding her entitlement to benefit payments.
Lumos surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the indictment, from October 1, 2009, to March 1, 2024, Lumos allegedly concealed her full physical abilities and undisclosed ownership, work, and income at multiple businesses. This reportedly resulted in her receiving $174,391 in disability payments.
It is important to remember that charges set forth in an indictment are accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The theft of government money charge may result in up to 10 years of imprisonment, while the concealment charge could lead to up to five years of imprisonment. Both charges carry a potential fine of up to $250,000.
The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is handling the prosecution of the case.