Schenectady Woman Receives Benefits For Deceased Mother

When someone loses a parent it is usually a tragic and traumatic event. With all that being said, that still doesn’t give anyone the right to circumvent the law. Eventually, the law will catch up with you!

Most people dealing with the Social Security system should know that when the recipient passes away, their benefits stop. A Schenectady woman learned the hard way that she should not play with Uncle Sam!

Whenever a Social Security recipient passes away, their family is responsible for notifying the administration so that they can stop deposits being made to the deceased's account. They are also responsible for returning any money that they are not entitled to.

According to News 6, On Tuesday, 53-year-old Jody Lyons pleaded guilty in the US. District Court to fraudulently taking Social Security benefits from her deceased mother's account for several years.

Ms. Lyons admitted to taking deposits to her mother's account from 2015 until 2018. Ms. Lyons never notified the Social Security Administration of her mother's death. When the administration learned of her death they stopped making deposits to the deceased woman’s account. In addition to admitting that she took the money, Ms. Lyons also acknowledged that she knew that the money was intended for her deceased mother’s use and that she was not entitled to the money.

Ms. Lyons is in big trouble. She is scheduled to be sentenced in March 2021. She could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. With her guilty plea, she has agreed to pay $95,961 to the Social Security Administration in restitution.

In the end, is it really worth it? In my opinion it is not!