Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, today announced that a grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging Bonita A. Armstead, 37, of Cleveland, with one count of theft of government property and one count of Social Security Fraud.
The indictment alleges that Armstead stole and converted to her own use, approximately $122,149.10 in Social Security payments made to her that she was not entitled to receive.
The indictment further alleges that Armstead obtained and used a second Social Security account number to receive Social Security Benefits.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after 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 violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Bell, following investigation by agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A 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
