Diana Cunningham, Theft of Government Funds, Florida 2013

PEMBROKE PINES, FL – A Pembroke Pines woman is facing a decade behind bars after admitting to a decade-long scheme to defraud the Social Security Administration (SSA) out of over $80,000. Diana Cunningham, 56, pled guilty this week to two counts of theft of government funds, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

The scam, which ran from approximately May 2003 to August 2013, involved Cunningham falsely claiming to be the primary caregiver and provider of housing for a disabled child residing in Florida. Court documents reveal a systematic pattern of falsified forms and attestations submitted to the SSA, detailing the child’s supposed whereabouts and well-being. The reality, according to investigators, was far different.

A probe launched by the SSA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) uncovered that the child in question was, in fact, living in Massachusetts and receiving *no* care or financial support from Cunningham. For ten years, she pocketed benefits meant to cover the cost of the child’s care, lining her own pockets while offering nothing in return. The total haul: approximately $80,000 in stolen funds.

“This wasn’t a momentary lapse in judgment,” stated Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. “This was a calculated, sustained effort to exploit a system designed to protect vulnerable individuals. The SSA OIG’s work was crucial in exposing this fraud.” Thomas Caul, Special Agent in Charge of the SSA OIG, echoed that sentiment, highlighting the agency’s commitment to rooting out such schemes.

Cunningham now awaits sentencing before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas on September 2, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. She faces a maximum of ten years in prison, three years of supervised release following incarceration, a hefty $250,000 fine, and will be ordered to pay full restitution for the stolen funds. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Katz is prosecuting the case.

The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing. For more information, visit the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls or the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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