A San Diego woman has pleaded guilty to concealing the death of her father-in-law — a U.S. military veteran — for more than six years in order to illegally receive over $175,000 in government and private retirement benefits, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Josephine Guinauli Aquino, 64, admitted in federal court that she intentionally hid the August 2019 death of her father-in-law in the Philippines so she could continue collecting his monthly payments from the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS), the Social Security Administration (SSA), and pension checks from the Nestle Corporation.
Because the death occurred overseas, U.S. government agencies were not automatically notified, which prosecutors say Aquino exploited. She continued receiving benefits until October 2025.
According to her plea agreement, Aquino forged more than 150 checks from her father-in-law’s U.S. bank account and deposited his ongoing Nestle pension checks, which were still mailed to his last known American address. Prosecutors say she also used his bank card to withdraw funds for personal use.
Aquino further admitted taking three federal COVID-19 economic impact payments issued in her father-in-law’s name during the pandemic, adding to the government’s losses.
As part of her plea, Aquino has agreed to repay all stolen funds to DFAS, SSA, the U.S. Treasury Department, and the Nestle Corporation. She was released pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon condemned the fraud, stating, “By stealing benefits that did not belong to her, this defendant took money away from other veterans and elderly Americans in need.”
Christian Assaad, acting special agent-in-charge for the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, added that Aquino’s conduct “represents a serious violation of the law” and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to safeguarding Social Security programs from fraud and abuse.