COLUMBUS – Christina G. Lynn, 41, of Williamsport was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 27 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised released and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $305,126.72 as punishment for embezzling from two veterans for whom she was the appointed guardian and other clients of the law firm where she was employed.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Gavin McClaren, Resident Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, and Elias Papoulias, Resident Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and Pickaway County Sheriff Dwight Radcliff announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.

Lynn pleaded guilty on October 11, 2011 to one count of embezzling public money.

According to court documents, Lynn was employed as a legal assistant at the Circleville, Ohio law firm of Huffer and Huffer. Lynn had been approved by the Veterans Administration and the Social Security Administration to serve as the legal guardian for two area military veterans. As the appointed guardian, she received benefit payments on behalf of the veterans. She was required to use the benefits for the current medical and fiscal needs of the veterans.

VA investigators determined that between April 2004 and April 2010, Lynn converted more than $247,000 of the veterans’ benefits to her own personal use. She also converted to her personal use more than $58,000 of funds from the trust accounts of several other of the firm’s clients.
           
Stewart commended the investigation by VA investigators, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Affeldt, who prosecuted the case.

 

 

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