A federal grand jury indicted Margaret A. Hovan, 67, of Brooklyn, for theft of government funds, said Carole S. Rendon, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The indictment alleges that Hovan fraudulently withdrew her deceased mother’s Title II Social Security Survivor’s benefits from May 2011 until December 2014, taking a total of $59,468 to which she was not entitled.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Sanniti.
If convicted, the court will determine the defendant’s sentence 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 violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum. In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
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
