United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Tameka O’Hara, 36, of Haines City with four counts of theft of government money, four counts of making false statements to or concealing material facts from the Social Security Administration, and one count of making a false statement to a federal agency.
If convicted, O’Hara faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count of theft of government money and up to 5 years’ imprisonment on each of the other counts. The indictment also notifies O’Hara that the United States intends to forfeit any monies and property that are traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, O’Hara concealed or lied about material facts concerning her household’s true composition, income, and assets, as well as the ownership of her residence, in an effort to maximize or maintain eligibility for Supplemental Security Income benefits for herself and other members of her household. The total loss to the federal government is alleged to exceed $250,000.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Gerard.
