Philadelphia Man Charged with Theft of Social Security Benefits
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 09, 2014 |
An indictment was unsealed today charging Bernard Lopez, 57, of Philadelphia, with theft of government funds for allegedly taking, for his own benefit, the Social Security Administration benefits check issued to another person, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger.
If convicted, the defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a $100 special assessment, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Barrett.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.