Woman admits theft of dead grandma’s Social Security checks
A Fort Washington woman has admitted that she fraudulently obtained her dead grandmother’s Social Security checks for 20 years, bilking the government out of more than $130,000.
Calogera Piazza, 44, pleaded guilty to theft of government money in federal court in Greenbelt on Thursday.
She admitted that her grandmother’s Feb. 16, 1990, death was never reported to the Social Security Administration. Her plea agreement says that Social Security payments to her grandmother — who was also named Calogera Piazza — continued after her death.
The younger Piazza lived at her grandmother’s home and continued to receive and cash the checks, the plea agreement says. In total, plea documents say, she cashed checks worth $131,252 between February 1990 and September 2010.
Man sentenced in bank robbery spree
A Maryland man was sentenced to prison for committing a string of bank robberies in four states.
A federal judge ordered 31-year-old Zachary Shanaberger, of Carroll County, to serve 12 years and seven months in prison for robbing nine banks in Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina and Georgia.
Court records say he made off with a total of $22,584.
Shanaberger pleaded guilty in July to the heists, which occurred between January and March 2010. In Maryland, he robbed banks in Frederick, Severna Park, Ellicott City and Westminster.
54 vehicles hit by BB gun
At least 54 vehicles in the Franconia area were shot with a BB or pellet gun over the weekend, Fairfax County police said. Total damage to the vehicles is estimated to be about $15,000 police said. Police had no description of a possible suspect.
Anyone with information can call Crime Solvers at 866-411-TIPS (8477). Tipsters may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
— Emily Babay
