Man sentenced for money theft

A 63-year-old Kalispell man was sentenced to five years of probation Friday in U.S. District Court after having filed a guilty plea to a charge of theft of government money.

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 money.

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.

He also was ordered to pay $22,298 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. He could have been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release with a fine of up to $250,000.