Feds Say 5 RivCo Residents Stole $400,000+ in Social Security Benefits

By City News Service:

RIVERSIDE, CA - Five Riverside County residents were among 22 people snared in a federal investigation that uncovered years-long thefts of Social Security benefits, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in entitlement losses, prosecutors announced this week.

Taralyn Boucher, 60, of La Quinta, Janet Dial, 58, of Thermal, Katina Dell Lasater, 72, of Temecula, Maria Lopez, 59, of Moreno Valley and Sabina Martinez, 69, of Menifee were all indicted last week for alleged theft of public benefits.

A grand jury indictment was also obtained for a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant, Vicki Lynn Gregory, who is accused of stealing her mother's Widow's Insurance Benefits, totaling $30,000.

"Government programs like Social Security provide important benefits to qualified individuals so they can have economic security," said U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker.

"We cannot tolerate abuse of the system that provides support to millions of honest Americans, many of whom worked their entire lives to receive Social Security," she said. "This series of cases illustrates our commitment to root out abuse and fraud ... and to protect the integrity of an important program aimed at helping senior citizens and the most vulnerable in our society."

Boucher is accused of stealing $111,813; Dial is accused of taking $137,105; Lasater is accused of diverting $23,636; Lopez is charged with stealing roughly $35,000; and Martinez is accused of stealing nearly $100,000.

In addition to benefits theft charges, several defendants are accused of bank fraud, identity theft and related counts. Most of the defendants are from Los Angeles County, though one is a resident of Mexico.

A Social Security Administration employee, 38-year-old Daysi Salazar- Arias of Thousand Oaks, allegedly stole $8,907 by creating a bogus recipient of Childhood Disability Benefits, according to the eight-count indictment against her.

The single largest theft was allegedly perpetrated by a West Hills resident, 68-year-old Jose Aguinaco Ugalde, who was indicted on multiple counts of grand theft and identity theft.

He allegedly stole Retirement Insurance Benefits intended for his father, who had died, and his ex-stepmother. The entitlement thefts totaled more than $400,000, prosecutors allege.

Investigations were handled by the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

With the exception of Salazar-Arias, the defendants are free on their own recognizance and are slated to make initial court appearances next month. They could face upwards of five years in federal prison if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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