DAYTON – Cynthia A. Faulkner, 32, of Dayton, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to fraudulently obtaining food card benefits and submitting false income tax documents.
Specifically, she pleaded guilty to three counts of making a false document, two counts of aiding in the filing of a false income tax return and one count of misprision of a felony.
Benjamin C. Glassman, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Ryan L. Korner, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Anthony V. Mohatt, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General Investigations, Midwest Region, and Brad Geary, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Inspector General announced the plea entered into yesterday before U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose.
According to court documents, Faulkner made false statements on her April 2013 application to receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. As part of her request to reapply for cash and food assistance, Faulkner misrepresented the cost of her rental residence in Mason, Ohio, for which she paid more than $2,000 per month.
On a similar application in 2014, Faulkner falsely reported her and her husband’s total gross income as approximately $36,000. In fact, their total gross income for the application period was nearly $91,000.
Faulkner also aided in the filing of materially false income tax returns by underreporting business receipts by nearly $125,000 over tax years 2011 and 2012.
Further, Faulkner had first-hand knowledge of a bank fraud scheme and failed to report it to authorities. The scheme involved Capital Group Properties and Consultants Corp of Mason and Cincinnati, Ohio, and National Appraisal Sources, LLC of Cincinnati, Ohio, which are both co-owned by Faulkner. The scheme included receiving payment for fraudulent real estate appraisal reports.
During her federal case, Faulkner submitted false documents to the Court asking for continuance on a court hearing. She told the Court she had received a hysterectomy and provided a false patient medical discharge summary from the Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Fla. In fact, Faulkner underwent no such surgery.
The parties in this case have agreed upon a recommended sentence of up to 21 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Glassman commended the investigation of this case by the IRS Criminal Investigation, USDA OIG and HUD OIG, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Dwight Keller, who is prosecuting the case.