Austin Woman Nabbed for 25-Year Social Security Scam

MINNEAPOLIS – Mavious Redmond, 54, of Austin, Minnesota, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison and a year of supervised release for a brazen, decades-long scheme to steal Social Security benefits intended for her deceased mother. The sentence was handed down after Redmond admitted to pilfering over $360,000 from the system.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson didn’t mince words, calling Redmond’s actions “brazen and shameless.” “For 25 years, she posed as her dead mother to steal more than $360,000 in social security benefits,” Thompson stated. “This wasn’t free money. It was taxpayer money, stolen from a program built on the hard work of Minnesotans who paid in every paycheck. Cases like this are part of the broader fraud crisis gripping our state, where too many see taxpayer programs as their own personal piggy banks. We will not let it stand.”

Court documents detail a meticulously planned and executed fraud that began in 1999. Redmond, after her mother’s death, contacted the Social Security Administration *specifically* to learn how to terminate benefits – then deliberately ignored that information, choosing instead to perpetuate the lie. For over two decades, she forged her mother’s signature, used her biographical information, and even redirected mail to her own address, all while falsely claiming benefits as if her mother were still alive.

The deception didn’t stop at paperwork. Redmond repeatedly posed as her deceased mother, both in person and over the phone, to maintain the illusion. A particularly galling example occurred on June 4, 2024, when Redmond personally visited a Social Security office, fraudulently submitting an SS-5 Application for Social Security Form under her mother’s name. The scheme was so convincing, it even fooled the IRS, resulting in $3,200 in COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments being deposited into her deceased mother’s bank account – money Redmond promptly pocketed.

Judge Brasel highlighted the length and audacity of the fraud during sentencing, noting that Redmond’s actions, including the repeated impersonation of her deceased mother before federal agents, were particularly egregious. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision; it was a calculated, sustained effort to defraud the government for a quarter of a century. The investigation was a joint effort between the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the IRS.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans led the prosecution. The case serves as a stark reminder that even seemingly “victimless” crimes have consequences, and that federal authorities are actively pursuing and prosecuting those who attempt to exploit taxpayer-funded programs for personal gain. Redmond’s sentence sends a clear message: stealing from the system will be met with swift and decisive justice.

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