DOJ: Pompano Beach woman convicted of stealing $152,000 in Social Security benefits

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A Pompano Beach woman has been convicted of stealing $152,000 in Social Security benefits from her deceased great-aunt, according to the United States Department of Justice.

DOJ says that Asha Anderson, 48, was convicted of theft and Social Security fraud after a six-day trial. Court records show that Anderson’s great-aunt had received Social Security benefits by direct deposit into a bank account. After her great-aunt’s passing, the Social Security Administration continued depositing monthly benefit payments into her account.

Over a 5-year span from April 2017 to December 2022, Anderson accessed the account and withdrew more than $152,000 in Social Security benefits that she wasn’t entitled to, DOJ says. She also made hundreds of cash withdrawals from ATMs located in Pompano Beach and Coconut Creek during that time.

She faces up to 10 years in federal prison for theft of government funds, and up to 5 years for Social Security fraud. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence.

See also: Lauderhill police officer accused of using dead man’s identity to take over his home

“Social Security is funded by the hard work of American taxpayers and exists to support those who are lawfully entitled to its benefits,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “For nearly six years, Asha Anderson stole more than $152,000 in benefits intended for her deceased great-aunt. Today’s jury verdict makes clear that those who steal from programs Americans depend on will be investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable.”

“Ms. Asha Anderson knowingly diverted more than $152,000 in Social Security benefits intended for her late great-aunt, and her conviction protects Social Security funds while holding accountable those who misuse them,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Jermaine Jack of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (SSA OIG), Atlanta Field Division. “I commend both our investigators and partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent effort in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”