Cleveland Woman Charged With Defrauding Social Security Out Of $37,000

A Cleveland woman was indicted today by a federal grand jury for theft of public money and false statements to a federal agency related to the theft of more than $37,000 in Social Security funds, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Zulma Rullan, 47 is accused of submitting false statements to the Social Security Administration on behalf of her daughter and herself, claiming Social Security benefits to which neither woman was entitled.  The alleged theft of Social Security funds occurred between 2005 and 2013 and totaled approximately $37,427.78, according to the indictment.

The United States Social Security Administration -- Office of the Inspector General and the United States Department of Agriculture -- Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Miranda Dugi.      

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial, in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.