An Ohio woman was sentenced for stealing her deceased father's pension funds and Social Security benefits, collecting $254,116. Cindy S. Hardway continued to claim her father's pension and Social Security benefits even after he passed away in 2005.
The 62-year-old woman was sentenced in the U.S. District Court to repay restitution, serve six months in federal prison, and three years under supervised release.
According to the legal documents, Hardway used some of the money for a Las Vegas trip after her father's death and continued taking the money for another 15 years.
Hardway pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of theft of public money and one count of theft or embezzlement from an employee benefit plan, per Bloomberg Law.
She admitted to not reporting her father's death, Joseph Fries, to the Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Plan or the Social Security Administration.
Shall be held accountable
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, said the money was intended for some of the nation's most vulnerable people, including retirees, widows, and people with disabilities.
Parker commended the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Labor for continuing to audit their programs and recognizing irrelevant distributions and theft. He noted people should be aware that they can be identified and held accountable.
The woman accessed the funds using her father's debit card and used them for her benefit from the time of her father's death through May 2020, per the U.S. Department of Labor.
Judge James L. Graham of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division in Columbus, stated that Hardway must report to prison by September 6.
Failed to notify the Pension Fund
Hardway was held accountable for accessing her deceased father's account and stealing taxpayer funds.
Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, said that he is gratified that there was a review by the audit office which identified the case and warned the investigators of this kind of fraud.
He added that such efforts are crucial to maintaining the public's trust in the Social Security and want to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Landry for prosecuting the case.
According to Joe Rivers, Employee Benefits Security Administration Regional Director in Cincinnati, fraudulent transactions severely impact the integrity of pension plans and are a blatant violation of Federal Law.
Illegal use of pension or retirement benefits will be investigated, and he added that individual retirement earnings for rightful recipients would be protected, per The United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Ohio.
