Ohio Woman Indicted in $940,000 State Pension, Social Security Scheme

From the Ohio Office of the Attorney General:

CLEVELAND—A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted a Euclid woman on 28 counts related to alleged theft of public pension and Social Security benefits totaling almost $1 million dollars.

Eva J. Allen, 73, formerly of East Cleveland, was indicted on the following counts:

• One count of Identity Fraud, a felony of the first degree
• Two counts of Theft, felonies of the second degree
• 25 counts of Money Laundering, felonies of the third degree

Allen is accused of forging documents to continue collecting both Social Security and Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) pension benefits in the name of a relative who was actually deceased. The fraudulent benefits were received beginning in 1991 and continued for nearly 23 years. The total of alleged fraudulent payments is estimated to be more than $650,000 from OPERS and more than $290,000 from Social Security.

The investigation was conducted by the Ohio Auditor’s Office upon the recommendation of OPERS and the Social Security Administration. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office and the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section are jointly prosecuting the case.
 

CLEVELAND—A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted a Euclid woman on 28 counts related to alleged theft of public pension and Social Security benefits totaling almost $1 million dollars.

Eva J. Allen, 73, formerly of East Cleveland, was indicted on the following counts:

• One count of Identity Fraud, a felony of the first degree
• Two counts of Theft, felonies of the second degree
• 25 counts of Money Laundering, felonies of the third degree

Allen is accused of forging documents to continue collecting both Social Security and Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) pension benefits in the name of a relative who was actually deceased. The fraudulent benefits were received beginning in 1991 and continued for nearly 23 years. The total of alleged fraudulent payments is estimated to be more than $650,000 from OPERS and more than $290,000 from Social Security.

The investigation was conducted by the Ohio Auditor’s Office upon the recommendation of OPERS and the Social Security Administration. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office and the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section are jointly prosecuting the case.