Delran Man Admits to Collecting Nearly $100,000 Meant for Dead Mother

A Delran man admitted to collecting nearly $100,000 in payments that were wrongfully paid to his dead mother, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced on Wednesday.

Irvin Cooper, 65, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of theft of government funds.

Cooper’s mother died in December of 2006, according to documents filed in this case and statements made in court.

He admitted that he intentionally didn’t notify the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) as he was obligated to.

This allowed him to continue to receive his mother’s SSA survivor benefit checks and the VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation checks.

The SSA and VA continued to deposit the checks electronically into a PNC Bank account in his mother’s name.

Cooper accessed that account at various times and used the money to pay for personal expenses.

He admitted that from December 2009 to April 2014, he collected $98,454 to which he was not entitled.

The SSA and VA discovered the death in April of this year.

The charge to which Cooper pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2015.

Fishman credited special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Ryan; and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey G. Hughes, for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.