A woman from Spencer has been charged with bank fraud in a federal court in Worcester. Gina Llerena-Donohue, aged 62, is accused of scheming to fraudulently obtain Social Security benefits. She faces one count of bank fraud and will appear in federal court at a later date.
The allegations state that from February 2006 to May 2021, Llerena-Donohue unlawfully obtained approximately $41,954.20 in Social Security benefits. It is claimed she held a power of attorney for a beneficiary who died in January 2006 but failed to report the death to the Social Security Administration or the bank where the benefits were deposited. Instead, she allegedly accessed these funds through several counter cash withdrawals and submitted four false affidavits to the bank in 2018 and 2019, asserting that the power of attorney was still valid.
If convicted of bank fraud, Llerena-Donohue could face up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg from the Major Crimes Unit.
It is important to note that all details contained within the charging documents are allegations at this stage. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.