Woman Submitted False Student Loan Documents

PITTSBURGH - A former resident of Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of mail fraud, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Mary Beth Bawden, 54, waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the two felony counts before United States District Judge David Stewart Cercone.

According to information presented to the Court at the guilty plea, Bawden defrauded Doral Bank and Sallie Mae by submitting false and fraudulent student loan documents purportedly for her son.

Judge Cercone scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2016. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both, at each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentence, the court released Bawden on bond.

Assistant United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Education conducted the investigation leading to the Information in this case.