Woman Collected Dead Mom's Benefits for 25 Years

A Social Security scheme that stretched nearly a quarter-century has resulted in a yearlong prison sentence. A federal judge in Hammond, Indiana, ordered 62-year-old Rose Henderson to serve 12 months behind bars after she admitted to collecting her dead mother's benefits from 1996 until 2021, reports the Chicago Tribune. All told, she collected about $365,000.

Assistant US Attorney Thomas McGrath called the case "pretty extreme" given the size and duration of the theft. Henderson's lawyer said she has been disabled since age 25 (the type of disability wasn't specified) and has been homeless at times. US District Judge Gretchen Lund, however, called her theft "systematic" and "deliberative," ordering that Henderson's future disability benefits be garnished to repay the government.