Philadelphia Woman Accused of Stealing $100,000 in Disability Benefits from a Homicide Victim Buried under a Townhouse
Holly Sadowski, a 37-year-old woman from Philadelphia, has been accused of withholding information about a murder to fraudulently collect nearly $100,000 in the form of disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. These benefits were meant for the murdered woman, and were deposited into her bank account; an account Sadowski would later access. The victim’s remains were discovered two years later under a basement of a rowhome in Frankford. Due to the aged state of the remains, investigators believe the woman could have died up to a decade ago, buried deep beneath the property.
The indictment against Sadowski, announced on Friday, contains charges of Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The victim, only identified as E.W., was last seen alive in December 2012. She was receiving disability insurance benefits due to an intellectual disorder and was entitled to these benefits until her death. Yet the Social Security Administration was never informed of her death. Sadowski allegedly kept E.W.’s death hidden while collecting her benefits for years.
In December 2022, while conducting a search of the home in Northeast Philly, police discovered human remains deep beneath the basement’s concrete floor. It was confirmed through DNA testing that the remains belonged to E.W., and her cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head and neck. E.W.’s relationship to Sadowski has not been revealed, and there is no indication that Sadowski is suspected of the murder.
From January 2013 to April 2023, the Social Security Administration deposited $99,447.90 into a bank account in E.W.’s name. Sadowski is alleged to have knowingly continued this deception so the disability benefits would keep being paid into the account, providing Sadowski with money she had no legal right to. Prosecutors state that, if Sadowski is convicted, she is facing a maximum sentence of 107 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $1,750,000 fine, and a $700 special assessment.
In situations like these, it is necessary to know how to contact the relevant organizations. If you need to get in touch with Social Security Administration or any other agency related to disability benefits, you can visit websites like eddcaller.com. They provide valuable information about how to contact entities similar to the Social Security Administration.