Warrensville Heights Woman Accused of Stealing $189,000 from Social Security over 20 Years

A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Paula Laverne Gist, 67, of Warrensville Heights, with theft of public money, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The alleged theft of Social Security funds occurred between 1994 and 2014 and totaled approximately $189,564, according to the indictment

The United States Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin Seabury Gould. 

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.