A woman from Spencer appeared in federal court in Worcester, admitting to charges of bank fraud related to illicitly obtaining Social Security benefits. Gina Llerena-Donohue, aged 62, pleaded guilty to the charges against her. The U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman has set her sentencing for July 23, 2025.
Llerena-Donohue was involved in fraudulent activities spanning from February 2006 to May 2021, during which she acquired approximately $41,954.20 in Social Security benefits. Her actions involved holding a power of attorney for a Social Security beneficiary who had passed away in January 2006. Llerena-Donohue failed to report the beneficiary's death to the relevant authorities or the bank handling the Social Security deposits. Instead, she withdrew the improperly received benefits on multiple occasions. Additionally, she issued four false affidavits to the bank in 2018 and 2019, claiming the power of attorney remained valid as it was not terminated by the beneficiary's death.
The bank fraud charge in this case could lead to a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine that could reach $250,000 or twice the total financial gain or loss.
The case was announced by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, based in Boston. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg from the Major Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
