RICHMOND, Va. -- The U.S. Social Security Administration has asked the Office of the Inspector General to explore what happened to social security checks for 300 vulnerable people that were sent to a Richmond business that abruptly closed at the end of last week.
The business, Crossroads, Inc., is a representative payee for social security, which means the feds send social security checks there to manage for people who are so mentally incapacitated they can’t handle their own finances.
Among those people, a severely mentally ill woman living at Central State Hospital in Petersburg.
Attorney Ryan Young used to be her guardian ad litem, and now does pro bono work on her behalf.
He said she has $51,000 in social security money that was being managed by Crossroads, Inc. that is now missing.
“I hope the money is there. There is something very suspicious going on,” Young said. “These are the most vulnerable people in society.”
Young said he has not been able to reach the business for months, and now there is a sign on the door stating Crossroads, Inc. is closed and people should go to the social security office on W. Cary Street.
“We don’t know for certain what happened with the money we just want them to return our phone calls,” Young said.
Young reported the issue to the Henrico Police Department, who is investigating the case.
Although the cash remains missing, Young said his client is lucky because she has him and a conservator looking out for her money, but others don’t have someone looking out for them.
“Many of those people probably have no one,” Young said. “[It’s] very easy to take advantage of them.”
Dan O’Connor, the Philadelphia Regional Communications Director for the SSA, said the agency closed the bank account where the social security money was deposited so no future checks go there.
He also said people who used Crossroads, Inc. and are due a July check should go to the Social Security Office at 1834 West Cary Street in Richmond on Friday.
As for prior checks that are missing, he said they don’t know where that money is located and said the Inspector General’s Office is now looking into the issue.
