'Hoax mom' sentencing put off after theft amount questioned

Posted: Thursday, January 5, 2012 6:00 pm | Updated: 12:52 am, Fri Jan 6, 2012.

PHILADELPHIA — The final chapter in the story of Bucks County's "Hoax Mom" began Thursday during a federal court hearing here that was as underwhelming as her faked kidnapping was sensational.

Bonnie Sweeten was scheduled to be sentenced for stealing about $ 1 million from a Lower Southampton law firm, its clients and an elderly relative — crimes that sparked her fake kidnapping in 2009.

But her sentencing was postponed when her public defender started trying to prove she stole a little bit less than $ 1 million. That's because a figure lower than $ 1 million would call for more lenient sentencing guidelines and possibly fewer years in prison.

The feds stood by their number of $ 1.1 million.

Public defender James McHugh's dispute over Sweeten's total take caused a very detailed battle of forensic accounting on the witness stand, preventing Sweeten's actual sentencing from happening.

Sweeten faces between two and 22 years in prison. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia is asking for 10 years.

She might not be sentenced for weeks while U.S. District Judge William Yohn works out scheduling conflicts. At least another day of testimony is needed before the judge can rule.

Sweeten had pleaded guilty to fraud and identity theft in June.

In 2009, it was Sweeten's fear of getting caught for the fraud that led her to fake the kidnapping of her and her daughter in Upper Southampton. Sweeten really took her daughter to Disney World in Florida, where she was arrested. The story became international news.

Sweeten spent about a year in Bucks County prison for the hoax before being whisked into custody by the FBI, which investigated her fraudulent thefts during the time she was a paralegal and office manager at a Bustleton Pike law firm owned by Debbie Carlitz, who also was swindled.

Both a forensic accountant hired by the defense and an FBI agent sparred over details of how much Sweeten took. They went over Sweeten's bank accounts as well as the accounts of the law firm and Carlitz.

John Mitchell, the accountant hired by the defense, said some of the money Sweeten is accused of stealing came from legitimate Christmas bonuses from the firm. But FBI agent Michael Bantner said the law firm didn't hand out such bonuses that year.

The defense's accountant claimed that Carlitz was aware that Sweeten had deposited dozens of Carlitz's own paychecks into an account Sweeten shared with her husband.

But Carlitz, who took the stand, said she had no idea Sweeten was pilfering her paychecks and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the firm.

Carlitz said she trusted Sweeten, describing her as a close friend. But the judge asked Cartlitz how she failed to know so much money was disappearing from the firm. Carlitz said she should have known but was under a lot of stress for personal reasons, adding that money wasn't a big issue because her then-husband's mattress business brought in a large amount of money.

There is no dispute, however, over what Sweeten spent the stolen money on: jewelry, visits to the tanning salon and other luxuries.

There also was no dispute over Sweeten's scamming about $ 280,000 out of the 91-year-old great grandfather of her two daughters, Victor Biondino, who had dementia.

His son, Patrick Biondino, testified that Sweeten remained close to his family even after she divorced Victor Biondino's grandson.

She helped his family gain power of attorney over his finances when his mind began to fail, Patrick Biondino said. Sweeten then secretly accessed the money that Victor Biondino had saved for years while working at U.S. Steel.

"My father has no clue, because of his dementia, how much was lost," Patrick Biondino said. "If he knew, it would probably kill him."

During the hearing, Sweeten, 40, was dressed in a dark green jumpsuit. Her once blonde, shoulder length hair is now black. She sat quietly in the courtroom, occasionally jotting down notes.

Ben Finley: 215-949-4203; email: bfinley@phillyBurbs.com; Twitter: Ben_Finley

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