Erie Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Nearly $128K in Benefits from Social Security Meant for Father
An Erie woman pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing nearly $128,000 in benefits meant for her father who had died, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
Loraleigh Barber, 51, entered the plea to one count of theft of government property before U.S. District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
Barber received $127,636 in Old Age, Survivor’s Disability Insurance benefits from the United States Social Security Administration from Jan. 1, 2007, through
Aug. 2, 2019, according to information presented to the court.
She had served as a representative payee for her father and after he died in December 2006, but she never advised the Social Security Administration of his death and kept on receiving and spending the benefits intended for her father.
Barber will return to court for sentencing May 20, 2022 at 1:30 p.m.
She faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both, depending upon the seriousness of the crime and any prior criminal history.