A federal grand jury sitting returned a two-count indictment charging Joshua Papai, age 44, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, with one count of theft of public money, and one count of identity theft, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment charges that between Dec. 31, 2008, and April 30, 2010, Papai received approximately $61,129.40 in disability benefits from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, to which he was not entitled. During this period, the indictment alleges that Papai worked at various times as a snow plower, roofer, home health care aid, and state-tested nursing assistant throughout that time period.
The indictment also charges that on August 4, 2008, Papai used another person’s Social Security account number to open a bank account in a fictitious name. Joshua Papai used this account to hide employment earnings to which he was not entitled because he was receiving disability.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violations. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, they will be less than the maximum.
This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ian D. Hoffman following an investigation by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, Office of the Inspector General.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
