Former Rocky Hill Resident Sentenced for Fudging Dead Mother-in-Law's Social Security Funds

ROCKY HILL, CT — A woman has been sentenced in a case of fudging funds from her dead mother-in-law's Social Security account, a leading prosecutor said.

Deirdre M. Daly, United States attorney for the district of Connecticut, said that Maryanne Stephens, 69, of Ireland, formerly of Rocky Hill, was sentenced on Friday by Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to three months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, for stealing Social Security retirement benefits that had been deposited into her deceased mother-in-law’s bank account.

Chief Judge Hall also ordered Stephens to perform 75 hours of community service while on supervised release, and to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Stephens’ mother-in-law began receiving Social Security retirement benefits in 1971. Her mother-in-law died in October 1998, according to court documents.

Approximately $204,000 in Social Security retirement benefits were directly deposited into her mother-in-law’s bank account after her death, Daly said.

On Nov. 28, Stephens pleaded guilty to one count of theft of public money.

In pleading guilty, she admitted that from approximately March 2004 to December 2010, she forged her mother-in-law’s signature on bank checks in order to fraudulently obtain approximately $126,000 in Social Security retirement benefits that were deposited into her mother-in-law’s bank account after her mother-in-law had died, Daly said.

In total, Stephens forged her mother-in-law’s signature on 98 bank checks to withdraw money from the account, Daly said.

Stephens has been released on a $200,000 bond since her arrest on April 20, Daly. She was ordered to report to prison on April 3.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock