New Jersey Bank Employee Admits to Stealing $105,000 in Federal Retirement Benefits from Deceased Client

Jorge Nova admitted to stealing more than $105,000 in federal retirement benefits from a deceased client’s account while working at a New Jersey bank. US Attorney Phillip R. Sellinger announced Thursday.

A 35-year-old Passaic bank employee pleaded guilty to one count of electronic fraud, court documents show. The deceased was a client of the bank where Nova worked in the town of Nutley between 2011 and 2015, and the robberies continued until 2018, he explained. Daily News.

The unidentified client died in August 2014. However, he continued to receive retirement funds from Social Security Administration (SSA) through monthly deposit of $2,372 dollarsaccording to court documents obtained by PIX11 News.

Retirement benefits continued to be paid monthly for four years because investigators say the client’s death was never reported to the SSA.

Nova fraudulently obtained the account funds using debit cards issued in her name. He then withdrew money from the deceased’s bank account, according to court documents. Investigators said he withdrew $45,000 between 2015 and 2016, and $61,000 from 2016 to 2018.

Nova also registered new accounts with a money services provider in the deceased’s name and withdrew money from a second bank account in his name, authorities said. It is not clear how authorities learned about Nova’s plan.

The wire fraud charge is punishable by a maximum 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Nova is due in court for sentencing in October 2024.

All accusations are just accusations and those accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

In a similar case in 2023 Pennsylvania resident posed as dead father to steal his pension and Social Security payments from New York from other states, published a FB searchI implemented it after an anonymous complaint.

In 2021, the Alabama resident pleaded guilty in Manhattan stole approximately $120,000 in social and housing benefits by pretending to live in New York.