Albuquerque woman pleads guilty to federal theft of government property offense
ALBUQUERQUE -- This morning, Albuquerque resident Angela R. Chavez, 41, entered a guilty plea to a one-count information charging her with theft of government property before United States Magistrate Judge Alan C. Torgerson. Chavez remains on release under pretrial supervision pending her sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled, when she faces up to ten years imprisonment. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Chavez also is required to pay restitution in the amount of $32,983.00 to the Social Security Administration.
United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that the criminal charges against Chavez arise out of her embezzlement of Social Security benefits intended for her minor children. Chavez was charged with four counts of Social Security fraud and four counts of theft of government property in an indictment filed on October 14, 2010. The four fraud counts alleged that Chavez misappropriated Social Security child survivor benefits intended for her four minor children and the four theft counts allege that Chavez embezzled the Social Security benefits intended for her minor children. The indictment alleges that Chavez embezzled an aggregate of $24,256.00 in Social Security child survivor benefits between October 2005 and March 2010.
In her plea agreement, Chavez admitted criminal conduct beyond the offenses charged in the indictment. To this end, Chavez admitted that, from January 2001 through March 2010, she embezzled Social Security benefits in the aggregate amount of $32,983.00 paid to her in a representative capacity to which she was not entitled. Chavez admitted that she intentionally defrauded the Social Security Administration of survivor benefits intended for her four minor children who were not living with her and who did not receive the monetary benefit. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the United States will move to dismiss the indictment after Chavez is sentenced.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly A. Brawley.
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