Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Social Security Administration Funds

Roanoke, VIRGINIA – A Roanoke man pled guilty today in federal court in Roanoke to stealing over $100,000 of Social Security Administration funds intended for his deceased wife after he failed to report her death to that agency, Acting United States Attorney Rick A. Mountcastle announced.

Walter J. Doran, 76, of Roanoke, waived his right to be indicted and pled guilty today to a one count Information charging with theft of government money, willfully and knowingly steal and convert for his own use money of the Social Security Administration.

According to evidence presented at today’s guilty plea hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day, Doran failed to report his wife’s death to the Social Security Administration in 2009. The defendant continued to receive his late wife’s Social Security Retirement benefits from 2009 through April 2016 and use the funds for his own use. In all, Doran received $108,787 in Social Security Administration benefits to which he was not entitled.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Social Security Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States.