ORLANDO, Fla. — A 63-year-old Orlando woman faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to the theft of government property, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO).
Teresa Eve Hunt admitted to unlawfully converting $62,857 in Social Security benefits and $59,120.95 in Veterans Affairs benefits following the death of her mother, identified as M.H., who passed away on April 13, 2016.
Ms Hunt, who reportedly had access to her mother’s accounts via power of attorney, failed to report the death to the relevant agencies, allowing benefits to continue being deposited, the USAO said. She used the funds for personal expenses.
Hunt is scheduled to be sentenced on December 11, 2024, and has agreed to forfeit the stolen funds and make full restitution to both the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The SSA Office of the Inspector General and the VA Office of the Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office investigated the case, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro is prosecuting it.
