THOMPSONTOWN, Pa. — A Juniata County woman pleaded guilty last week to three charges relating to theft of Social Security and federal housing funds, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced Tuesday.
Doris Santana, 53, of Thompsontown, was a participant in the Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program between 2008 and 2021, Karam said. She also received Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration between 2018 and last month, according to Karam.
Santana got married in 2011, Karam said, but concealed the marriage from HUD and SSA because her marriage and additional income made her ineligible to receive additional benefits from both agencies.
She received a total of $145,397.30 in benefits from SSA and HUD that she was no longer eligible for, Karam said.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of the Inspector General, Karam said.
Santana will be sentenced at a later date. The maximum sentence is 25 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release.
