Man Sentenced To Year In Jail For Stealing Social Security Benefits Meant For His Mother After She Died

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A 66-year-old Baltimore antheral volition service a twelvemonth successful national prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, aft helium was sentenced for stealing Social Security benefits intended for his mother, according to a connection from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.

Wardell Lester, Jr. stole astir $224,000 successful monthly benefits payments intended for his parent from September 1997 until January 2018 aft helium did not notify the Social Security Administration she had died September 1997, according to the statement. He falsely reported helium spent the wealth connected her behalf but was required to record yearly reports documenting the transactions that utilized those funds, which were expected to beryllium spent connected housing, food, and idiosyncratic items, according to the statement.

Lester admitted to investigators successful January 2019 that helium spent the wealth connected drugs and surviving expenses, arsenic good arsenic falsifying accounting forms. He apologized for the theft but continued to bash truthful until the Social Security Administration terminated the benefits successful May 2019.

CBS Baltimore Staff