A West Yarmouth woman will be sentenced in September after pleading guilty Thursday in federal court in Boston to stealing Social Security disability benefits.
Crystal Lehtola, 35, received just under $65,000 in benefits from the SSA over a five year period from 2011 to 2016 that were intended for her disabled daughter. Lehtola repeatedly told the Social Security Administration that her daughter lived with her and she was her legal guardian.
However, the state Department of Children and Families removed the daughter from Lehtola’s care in April of 2009.
Lehtola was arrested and charged in August 2017. She faces a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or double the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, and three years of supervised release.