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WESTWEGO WOMAN GUILTY OF THEFT OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS
A 50-year-old Westwego woman has pleaded guilty to stealing over $59,000 in government funds from the Social Security Administration and the CARES Act, a federal investigation has found.
Penelope Passero, of Westwego, Louisiana, pled guilty on August 27, 2024 to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
According to court documents, from February 2016 to December 2020, Passero knowingly accessed and converted approximately $59,320.97 in Social Security Administration and CARES Act funds.
Passero faces up to ten years imprisonment, and/or a fine of $250,000, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571, up to three years of supervised release and, a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2024 before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter.
The Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2020 to marshal the resources of the government in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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