South Sioux City man charged with defrauding government agencies

OMAHA, Neb. -- A 42-year-old South Sioux City man has been charged with theft of government funds, an unsealed indictment revealed this week.

The Indictment alleges that Steven M. Woodall stole money from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services, through false claims that he was suffering from greater visual impairment than was actually the case, acting U.S. Attorney Jan Sharp said in a press release. If convicted, Woodall would potentially face up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release after he completed any prison sentence.

“By defrauding Federal programs, a beneficiary exploits the systems dedicated to serving the public and steals taxpayer money,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “OIG and our law enforcement partners are committed to pursuing individuals, including conniving beneficiaries, who attempt to undermine the integrity of HHS programs.”

An Indictment is a charging document that contains one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General; the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General; and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.