TRENTON –Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that an Atlantic County woman was sentenced today for stealing $140,873 in state pension benefits that continued to be paid for her mother for eight years after the mother died.

Diana A. Heil, 49, of Pleasantville, N.J., was sentenced today to two years of probation by Superior Court Judge Robert P. Becker Jr. in Gloucester County. The judge sentenced Heil to 364 days in the county jail to be served at the end of her term of probation, but the sentence will be waived if Heil complies with all of the conditions of her probation. If she violates probation, Heil will be subject to the jail sentence. She pleaded guilty on Jan. 25 to a charge of third-degree theft by unlawful taking. She must pay full restitution to the state, and she delivered approximately $14,000 of the restitution today.

The state’s investigation revealed that, at the time of her death in 2005, Heil’s mother was receiving survivor’s benefits as the beneficiary of Heil’s deceased father, who had been a member of the New Jersey Teachers’ Pension and Annuity Fund. The Division of Pensions and Benefits did not learn of the mother’s death and continued for eight years to make monthly payments into a joint checking account that the mother shared with Heil. Those payments accrued in the mostly inactive checking account until 2013, when the bank alerted Heil about the deposits. Heil in turn alerted the state about her mother’s death. The Division of Pensions and Benefits subsequently conducted an audit and contacted Heil about returning the funds that were deposited into the account. Heil acknowledged that the money did not belong to her and promised to return it, but she instead proceeded to make a series of large withdrawals and wire transfers from the bank account, resulting in the theft of approximately $140,873 in state funds.

Deputy Attorney General Brian Uzdavinis prosecuted Heil and handled the sentencing for the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. It was investigated by detectives of the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability. Attorney General Grewal thanked the Division of Pensions and Benefits for its valuable assistance in the investigation.

Defense Attorney:
Assistant Deputy Public Defender Ronald Appleby, Gloucester County.

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