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ARLINGTON MAN SENTENCED FOR ANNUITY FRAUD
BOSTON, Mass. - An Arlington man was sentenced today in federal court for theft of public funds.
LAURENCE WEBER, 66, of Arlington, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Mark L. Wolf to six months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine. Chief Judge Wolf also ordered WEBER to pay $336,716.84 in restitution. WEBER pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public funds on November 30, 2010.
At the earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that WEBER collected monthly annuity payments that belonged to his mother for nineteen years following her death. On three separate occasions, in response to written inquiries that he received from the Office of Personnel Management, WEBER falsely affirmed that his mother was still alive. WEBER received $1400 per month and a total of over $330,000 before his theft was discovered.
United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Drew Grimm, Special Agent in Charge of Eastern Operations, Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori J. Holik of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.