Al Plummer, 51, of University Heights, has been sentenced to 30 days of incarceration for stealing his deceased grandmother’s Social Security Retirement benefits, a grift that lasted more than three years and bilked the federal government out of $45,121.
The theft began shortly after his grandmother died in July 2013. Instead of reporting her death, Plummer, co-owner of Gimme Java Coffee in Shaker Heights, kept cashing her monthly Social Security checks. Month after month, he funneled the money into his own pockets — a cold, deliberate fraud that went undetected until October 2016.
Court documents reveal Plummer never notified authorities of the death, allowing the checks to keep flowing directly into the account he controlled. His failure to report the passing of a beneficiary is a federal offense — one that prosecutors say shows both greed and contempt for the system meant to support the elderly.
Plummer was hit with a 30-day jail sentence, followed by six months of home confinement. He’s also been ordered to repay the full $45,121 in restitution — money that should have ended with his grandmother’s life, not his own criminal scheme.
The case was brought by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Payum Doroodian, following a dogged probe by Kelly Clark of the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Agents traced the unauthorized withdrawals and uncovered a pattern of deception that painted Plummer not as a grieving relative, but as a calculated thief.
Plummer’s dual life — respected small business owner by day, federal fraudster by habit — underscores how white-collar crimes often hide in plain sight. But this time, the feds caught up. And now, he’s paying the price in jail time and tens of thousands in debt he never should’ve taken.
RELATED: Dayton Man Gets 7.5 Years for Kilo Cocaine Deal
RELATED: Plummer Gun Thief Gets 15 Months
Related Federal Cases
- Canton Woman Faces Theft, Fraud Charges for $37K Social Security Scam · Ohio
- Braxton Faces Indictment for $121K Social Security Theft · Ohio
- Ohio Woman Accused Of Stealing Over $40K in Benefits · Ohio
- Cleveland Couple Accused of Stealing $44,605.60 from SSA · Ohio
- PPE Lie: Edison Execs Plead Guilty to $10M Scam · Ohio
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
