Rhonda Henderson, 48, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI, admitting she lied during a federal investigation into a scheme to steal a disabled woman’s vehicle, U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today.
The charge—making false statements to federal agents—carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Henderson appeared before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo, where she admitted to deliberately misleading FBI Special Agents during an interview on June 19, 2014.
At the time, investigators were examining whether Henderson, a former social services worker, orchestrated a mail fraud scheme to illegally obtain a 1999 Honda two-door sedan registered to Victim A, a disabled woman she met through her job. The vehicle was never hers—yet Henderson claimed the title had been mailed to her address, a statement proven false.
During the interview, Henderson made three key false claims: that she did not take the vehicle title without authorization; that Victim A had given her permission to forge her name on a DMV transfer form dated December 13, 2013; and that her supervisor was aware of the transaction. Each statement was knowingly false, federal prosecutors said.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation under Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Division of Field Investigation, led by Owen McShane, Director of Investigations. The probe exposed how Henderson exploited her position to manipulate a vulnerable individual for personal gain.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Tripi is handling the prosecution. The case underscores the dangers of institutional trust being weaponized by those in caregiving roles.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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