Pittsburgh Man Charged With Stealing Money From Social Security Administration, Making False Statements
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pa., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of theft of government property and making false statements to the government, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
The two-count indictment named Robert Tovcimak, a/k/a Robert Kost, 73, as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Tovcimak knowingly stole and converted to his own use money, in excess of $1,000, belonging to the Social Security Administration. The indictment further charges that Tovcimak knowingly made false statements to the government when applying for Social Security benefits.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee J. Karl is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
Special Agent Patrick S. Donnelly of the Social Security Administration conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment or information is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
