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Former Bank Employee Guilty of Stealing $105,000 in Federal Retirement Benefits
A former bank employee in New Jersey has been found guilty of stealing federal retirement benefits from a deceased customer’s account. Jorge Nova, 35, of Passaic, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court on April 17, 2024.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Nova was an employee at a commercial bank in Nutley, New Jersey, when he fraudulently obtained funds from the account of a deceased beneficiary. The Social Security Administration continued to deposit retirement benefits into the account for more than four years after the beneficiary’s death, until October 2018.
Nova used the deceased beneficiary’s information to drain the retirement benefits from the account, causing debit cards to be issued to himself and registering new accounts with a money service provider. He withdrew money from a second bank account held in the beneficiary’s name, ultimately stealing more than $105,000 intended for the deceased beneficiary.
The count of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Organized Crimes and Gang Unit in Newark.
In a shocking case of financial exploitation, Nova’s guilty plea serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance in protecting the financial interests of vulnerable individuals.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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