Man pleads guilty to theft of money

A 63-year-old Kalispell man pleaded guilty to theft of government money Wednesday in U.S District Court in Missoula.

Ronald Villeneuve admitted receiving an overpayment of $22,298 in Social Security Disability payments after failing to report changes to his financial circumstances that would have made him ineligible for the support.

Villeneuve had begun gambling after selling his business in 2004 or 2005 for $20,000 and collected winnings of $80,000. He claimed he gave $25,000 to his daughter toward the purchase of a home in Canada and $50,000 to its former owner to secure financing, both in 2005. He never reported the gains or expenses to the Social Security Administration.

Villeneuve now faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.