Metro-east woman admits to collecting her mother’s Social Security for years after her death

A 72-year-old Caseyville woman accused of illegally collecting her late mother’s Social Security benefits for years after she died pleaded guilty Monday to theft of government funds.

Darlene L. Rogers will be sentenced in U.S. District Court on March 23. She is accused of illegally collecting more than $128,000 in benefits, according to a news release.

“Concealing a relative’s death from the government in order to keep receiving the relative’s Social Security benefits constitutes felony theft,” U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe stated in the release.

Rogers’ mother, Juanita M. Rich, died in October 1997, but her family did not report her death to the Social Security Administration, according to court documents.

In October 2009, Rogers forged her late mother’s signature to gain ownership of her bank account, where the government was depositing the monthly Social Security checks meant for Rich, according to the release. Rogers then used Rich’s account to write checks payable to herself in the approximate amount of the monthly checks, prosecutors said.

From October 2009 until April 2021, the agency had deposited a total of $128,656 in the account. In early 2021, when the Social Security Administration learned Rich was deceased, the agency launched an investigation.

“Ms. Rogers knowingly committed fraud by stealing Social Security retirement benefits that were intended for her deceased mother,” Gail Ennis, inspector general for the Social Security Administration said in a news release. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office for prosecuting this case. We will continue to protect the integrity of the SSA and hold accountable those who defraud its programs.”

This story was originally published January 23, 2023 at 6:25 PM.