KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former Harrisonville, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for Social Security fraud and for committing perjury when he testified at his trial. Michael Sylvara, 39, who currently lives and owns a business in Ozark, Mo., but lived in Harrisonville at the time of the offense, was sentenced by…

BOSTON – A Winthrop, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining a U.S. passport and then using it to enter the United States from Istanbul, Turkey in 2021.   Azem Gigo Zebic, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper to 18 months of probation, 100 hours…

RIVERSIDE, California – Two San Bernardino County residents were arrested today on a nine-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $2.1 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds by submitting more than 120 fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits using stolen identities, including those of California state prisoners. Lisa Puente, 43, of…

NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NATHANIEL HOPKINS, JR. (“HOPKINS”), age 48, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before United States District  Judge Jay Zainey to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641. According to court documents, HOPKINS’s wife was authorized to receive Social Security Administration (“SSA”) Title II –…

ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri woman on Monday admitted misusing $55,000 of her father’s Social Security benefits after his death. Carmen Needy, 65, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money. She admitted that after her father’s death on Aug. 31, 2016, his Social Security retirement benefits continued to be deposited…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Roselyn Mims, 51, of Linda, pleaded guilty today to theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, Mims was a Certified Nurse Assistant and In-Home Support Services (IHSS) home healthcare provider in the State of California, and she provided IHSS care to an elderly woman who…

NASHVILLE – A former business owner was charged by a federal grand jury yesterday with eleven counts of willfully failing to account for and pay over employment taxes to the IRS. According to court documents, from at least 2011 through 2023, Mari Ross-Alexander, of Columbia, South Carolina, was the owner and president of Ross Behavioral Group,…

14 Defendants Have Now Been Indicted in Connection with Multimillion Dollar Bank Fraud Conspiracy Targeting Financial Institutions Across the United States ALBANY, NEW YORK – A superseding indictment charges a total of 14 defendants in connection with a nationwide conspiracy to use stolen identities to fraudulently obtain money, checks, and credit from banks and credit…

HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Doris Santana, age 53, of Thompsontown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on October 11, 2024, to a three-count criminal information charging her with social security fraud and theft of public money related to her theft of social security and federal housing funds.  …

ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis on Monday admitted stealing from government benefits intended for her grandmother, who had passed away. Shamari Jackson, 32, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money. She admitted as part of her guilty plea that the deaths…