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Louisiana Woman Charged with Theft of Government Funds After Allegedly Receiving Funds for a Deceased Person

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Published May 12, 2022

Louisiana Woman Charged with Theft of Government Funds After Allegedly Receiving Funds for a Deceased Person

Louisiana – On May 11, 2022, United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Linda Reed Hill (“Hill”), age 75, of Slidell, Louisiana, was charged on May 6, 2022 by a bill of information today with Theft of Government Funds in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.

According to the bill of information, beginning on or about May 1, 2004, and continuing until on or about February 28, 2021, Hill knowingly embezzled, stole, purloined, and converted to her use money belonging to the United States and a department and agency thereof, namely the Social Security Administration, to which she was not entitled, when she withdrew funds from a joint JP Morgan Chase account under her own and Individual “A’s” names.

Individual “A” received SSA Retirement Survivor Insurance (“RSI”) prior to April 28, 2004. From approximately May 2004 to February 2021, following Individual “A’s” death, Individual “A” continued to receive monthly SSA disability benefits ranging from $1,310.00 to $1,518.00 per month, totaling $319,696.00, which was deposited by SSA into a joint JP Morgan Chase Savings account shared by Hill and Individual “A.” The monthly SSA funds were then transferred from the joint account to two separate accounts listed under Hill’s name and withdrawn by Hill.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Hill faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee if convicted.

The United States Attorney’s Office would also like to thank the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General for its assistance with this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn McHugh are prosecuting this case.

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