Kentucky woman kept getting her dead mother’s federal checks for nearly 13 years
A Lexington woman has pleaded guilty to continuing to get her mother’s federal disability checks for nearly 13 years after her mother died, illegally receiving more than $110,000.
Stareka Nicole Howell pleaded guilty in federal court in Lexington to a charge of embezzling from the Social Security Administration.
Howell’s mother, who received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, died on Sept. 30, 2007. Howell did not notify Social Security of her mother’s death and her checks continued coming until August 2020 to a bank account Howell controlled, according to a court document.
The total Howell took was $110,503, according to her plea agreement.
She is scheduled to be sentenced in June. She faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Bill Estep
Lexington Herald-Leader