Former Social Security Employee Sentenced To Prison

From CitizensVoice.com of Wilkes-Barre, PA:

Cynthia Sweppenheiser, whose age and address were unavailable, went before U.S. District Judge William J. Nealon and admitted to converting government property.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lorna Graham said Sweppenheiser was a customer service technician at the Luzerne County branch of the Social Security Administration in 2006.

On several occasions, she tried to divert social security payments to her personal bank accounts. In September 2006, she deposited into her accounts about $6,000 meant for a social security recipient, according to Graham.

If she had been successful in all of her attempts, authorities estimate she could have taken more than $30,000, according to court records.

Sweppenheiser has since resigned from her position at the Social Security Administration, Graham said.

Although the maximum prison sentence is 10 years, she’ll likely face no more than a year in prison under sentencing guidelines, according to court paperwork. She also may have to pay back the money she admitted to stealing, under the plea agreement filed Thursday.