Pamela Anita Thomas, Theft of Public Property, California 2016

Pamela Anita Thomas, a 41-year-old resident of Lemon Grove, California, has pleaded guilty to stealing almost $300,000 from the Social Security Administration. The brazen theft involved Thomas’s deceased father receiving retirement benefits via direct deposit into his bank account, which she then repeatedly transferred for her own use.

According to court documents, Thomas’s father began receiving Social Security retirement benefits in 1998, which continued to be deposited into his bank account until 2011, despite his death in 2001. Thomas made no effort to notify the Social Security Administration that the benefits were no longer warranted, allowing over $170,000 in benefits to be deposited into her deceased father’s account.

Thomas’s scheme continued for over a decade, with her using the stolen funds for her own personal use. She now faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. As part of her plea agreement, Thomas has agreed to repay the stolen funds.

The theft was discovered through a joint investigation by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy stated, ‘By collecting benefits that did not belong to them, these defendants took money away from those who need it most – elderly retirees, people with severe illnesses and widows and children of deceased wage earners.’

The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining the integrity of Social Security’s benefit programs. Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2017, before U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia Bashant.

The investigation into Thomas’s crimes was led by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. The case highlights the need for vigilance in preventing and detecting Social Security benefit fraud.

Thomas is not the only person to have been charged in recent years with stealing Social Security benefits. In a separate case, Darla Ann Ausman, a resident of Henderson, Nevada, also pleaded guilty to stealing over $120,000 in Social Security benefits from her deceased mother.

As a result of their plea agreements, both Thomas and Ausman will face significant prison time and fines for their crimes. The cases serve as a warning to those who would seek to exploit the Social Security system for personal gain.

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