Woman Stole Social Security Benefits From Teen's Account: DA

MOUNT PLEASANT, NY — A Hawthorne woman who took in a teen who had gotten out of jail is accused of continuing to collect his Social Security benefits after he dropped out of school and moved out. She now faces a grand larceny charge, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced.

Suzanne Pope, 54, stole over $13,000 in Social Security benefits, prosecutors allege.

The felony complaint alleges that in May 2015, Pope and her husband took into their Hawthorne home a teenaged former county jail inmate who had been living in the Children’s Village Sanctuary Shelter upon his release from jail.

When the teenager's father died four months later, he became eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. From September 2015 through March 2016, the teenager was an enrolled high school student and eligible for survivor benefits.

In December 2015, Pope applied for those benefits on the teenager’s behalf, using her home address. She took possession of the teenager’s Social Security debit card starting February 2016. Social Security deposited $1,565 monthly into the teenager’s debit account.

However, in March 2016, the teenager moved out of the Popes’ house and stopped attending school, making him ineligible for benefits, prosecutors said.

Pope continued to receive the benefits. From April to December 2016, Pope used the debit card for her personal needs without the knowledge of the teenager and in violation of Social Security Administration (SSA) regulations, prosecutors alleged.

The Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration investigated and referred the case to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.

Pope was arrested Aug. 30, at her home and arraigned later that day in Mount Pleasant Town Court. She is expected to appear next in court Oct. 11. The Investigations Division Public Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case.

A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.