A woman from Passaic County, New Jersey has admitted to defrauding the Social Security Administration by obtaining more than $144,000 in survivor benefits she was not entitled to, according to a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba.
Joan Charnecky, 60, of West Milford, pleaded guilty on September 10, 2025 before Senior U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court. She was charged with theft of public money.
Court documents and statements reveal that Charnecky’s mother received widow’s insurance benefits through monthly electronic deposits into her bank account. After her mother’s death in 2012, Charnecky did not inform the Social Security Administration and continued withdrawing the benefits for personal use. An investigation found that between 2012 and 2022, she withdrew approximately $144,768.30 in widow’s insurance benefits.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. Sentencing is set for January 21, 2026.
“Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.”
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Abrams of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.
Charnecky is represented by defense counsel Joel Bacher.
