New Orleans Woman Sentenced for Theft of More than $86,000 in Social Security Funds

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DANIELLE COLEMAN, age 39, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on April 27, 2023 after previously pleading guilty to Theft of Government Funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

According to court documents, COLEMAN’s grandmother was authorized to receive Social Security Administration (“SSA”) Title II – Retirement Survivor Insurance (RSI) benefits up until her death on September 8, 2009. An investigation by special agents with the SSA, Office of Inspector General and United States Department of Treasury, Inspector General for Tax Administration, revealed COLEMAN possessed  her late grandmother’s ATM card and began withdrawing money from her account after her death. COLEMAN used her late grandmother’s ATM card to pay for her own personal expenses knowing she was not entitled to those Social Security benefits. COLEMAN failed to notify the SSA of her grandmother’s death and took approximately $86,280.00 in SSI benefits from her account. An additional $1,200.00 of COVID-19 stimulus funds were erroneously deposited into COLEMAN’s grandmother’s account, and COLEMAN also used these funds on personal expenses.

United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced COLEMAN to five (5) years of probation, restitution, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the United States Department of Treasury, Inspector General for Tax Administration.  The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Spiro Latsis.