A Spencer woman pleaded guilty in federal court in Worcester to fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits.
Gina Llerena-Donohue, 62, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 23, 2025.
From February 2006 through May 2021, Llerena-Donohue fraudulently obtained approximately $41,954.20 in Social Security benefits. Llerena-Donohue held a power of attorney (POA) for a Social Security beneficiary who died in January 2006.
She did not report the beneficiary’s death to either the Social Security Administration or the bank where the benefits were deposited. Instead, Llerena-Donohue accessed the improperly paid benefits through several counter cash withdrawals.
Further, she submitted four false affidavits to the bank in 2018 and 2019 stating that the POA was still in effect because the death of the beneficiary had not terminated it.
The bank fraud charge provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
