Casey calls on feds to close Social Security loophole that led to Tacony kidnapping case

As more details of the Tacony kidnapping case come to light, Sen. Bob Casey is asking the Social Security Administration to close a loophole int he Social Security Protection Act of 2004.

“When someone applies to cash Social Security checks on behalf of another person they are supposed to answer a question on whether they’ve ever been convicted of an offense and imprisoned for more than a year, ” reads a statement today from Casey’s office.
“The 2010 report by the SSA watchdog showed that staff members do not perform background checks to determine if those applying to cash checks on another’s behalf have criminal records, and that self-reporting by applying individuals is unreliable.”

In the case of the adults and children held captive by three suspects in a case that began more than a week ago in Tacony, the suspects, with criminal records, were allegedly collecting the Social Security benefits of their victims.

Casey wrote today to SSA Commissioner Michael J. Astrue to demand that the 2004 act be enforced.