Fredericksburg woman pleads guilty in federal fraud case
A Fredericksburg woman accused of bilking the government out of at least $246,959 worth of Medicaid, Social Security and food stamp benefits pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday.
Raven M. Zaal, who owned and operated Raven’s Childcare Connections, a licensed in-home day care in Fredericksburg, pleaded guilty to health care fraud, theft of Social Security funds and theft of food stamp funds.
She faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced Sept. 22 by U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr., though federal sentencing guidelines will likely call for a lower term. Among other questions asked her by Gibney before accepting her plea, the judge wanted to know if Zaal understood that in all likelihood she will receive some prison time.
“Yes,” she said.
Zaal, 39, told Gibney on Monday that she suffered some mild traumatic brain damage in a traffic accident in 2015 and has back problems, but that she understood everything she heard Monday.
Read more: http://www.richmond.com/news/fredericksburg-woman-pleads-guilty-in-federal-fraud-case/article_02d77a8c-56ac-5b64-8faf-60aded63b5b9.html
