ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The grim reaper’s benefits weren’t immune from the greedy grasp of Mark Alan Barnes, 44, of Candler, N.C. Today, he was handed a 16-month prison sentence, plus three years of supervised release, for swindling nearly $78,000 in Social Security Retirement Benefits that should have gone to the departed.
According to court documents, from 2015 to 2020, Barnes deceitfully pocketed about $77,770. The cash was meant for a deceased beneficiary, but Barnes didn’t follow protocol; he didn’t report the death to the Social Security Administration (SSA) as required. Instead, he kept milking the system using the deceased’s SSA retirement benefits and a linked debit card, siphoning funds from area ATMs.
On February 8, 2025, Barnes entered a guilty plea to theft of government funds, a crime that U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, Russ Ferguson, decried as despicable: “Stealing Social Security benefits is stealing from every taxpayer.” Ferguson emphasized the importance of integrity in these vital programs and praised the SSA’s role in holding fraudsters like Barnes accountable.
Mrs. Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, echoed the sentiment, thanking law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their relentless pursuit of justice against benefit program defrauders. The SSA-OIG’s Office handled the investigation that led to Barnes’ downfall.
This case is a testament to the ongoing efforts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina to combat government fund theft and protect America’s reliance on social security benefits. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick, a SSA prosecutor focusing on fraud cases, prosecuted Barnes, reflecting the strong partnership between the SSA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Reporting fraud is crucial; citizens can submit reports online at oig.ssa.gov or contact the SSA-OIG’s fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 to protect these vital programs from exploitation.
RELATED: Candler Fraudster Sentenced For $78k in Social Security Scam
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Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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