Lincoln woman guilty of stealing Social Security money

 Jamie Lee Cianflone Jamie Lee Cianflone
Jamie Lee Cianflone Jamie Lee Cianflone

FAYETTEVILLE -- A Lincoln woman who earlier pleaded guilty to trying to hire a hit man to kill her ex-husband pleaded guilty April 6 to federal charges of stealing the benefit checks of a dead man who was once in her care.

Jamie Lee Cianflone, 48, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of theft of government funds. She will be sentenced at a later date.

Cianflone was hired as a personal care assistant for Apolinar Valdes in January 2011 by the Area Agency on Aging of Northwest Arkansas, according to court documents.

Valdes died in May 2012, but his Social Security checks continued to be deposited in his bank account by direct deposit. Cianflone was a joint account holder.

The checks were deposited until Social Security learned of Valdes' death. The last check was deposited in July 2014.

Court documents state Cianflone wrote checks on the account for various personal purchases. Cianflone took some $24,461, according to court documents.

Cianflone faces up to 10 years in prison, fines of up to $250,000 and could be ordered to make restitution.

In November, Cianflone pleaded guilty in Washington County Circuit Court to a charge of solicitation to commit capital murder against her estranged husband.

Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay sentenced Cianflone to 30 years at the Arkansas Department of Correction with 20 years suspended. She was given credit for 403 days of jail time served.

General News on 04/20/2016