Penelope Passero, a 50-year-old Westwego woman, has been sentenced after pleading guilty to theft of government funds. From February 2016 to December 2020, she illegally obtained about $59,320.97 from the Social Security Administration and the CARES Act, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter has mandated Passero's sentence to time served for Count 1 of the indictment and additionally, Passero must undergo three years of supervised release, pay a $100 special assessment fee, and make restitution in the full amount of the stolen funds.
The Justice Department continues to fight pandemic-related fraud through the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force, created by the Attorney General on May 17. This task force works to protect the integrity of relief programs and targets fraudulent activities, with support from various government agencies to safeguard aid intended to help Americans in times of need.
To report COVID-19 related fraud, individuals can contact the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or use the online NCDF Web Complaint Form.
The Westwego case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, with support from the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General.
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