2023-11-14 15:50:56
SAN DIEGO — Kimberly Kay Brandt, a 51-year-old U.S. citizen who lives in Tijuana, was sentenced Monday in federal court to 12 months and one day in prison for concealing her mother’s death from the Social Security Administration for 13 years. to steal more than $268,000 in retirement benefits.
Brandt pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud in August 2023, the Justice Department reported.
According to her plea agreement, Brandt’s mother, identified in court records as HB, moved from California to her daughter’s home in Tijuana when her health declined.
He died in Mexico in June 2010.
HB had been receiving retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) through direct deposit into his bank account.
After HB passed away, Brandt did not inform the Social Security Administration (SSA) and continued to use HB’s bank card to withdraw benefits intended for HB.
Brandt admitted that he posed as HB in a call to HB’s bank, supposedly to update HB’s address and request a new bank card in HB’s name.
Brandt recruited a third party to bring the new bank card to Mexico.
After the SSA discovered HB’s death and stopped paying benefits, Brandt posed as HB again in a call to the bank to ask about the missing payment.
Brandt was arrested on June 27, 2023, while attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico, three weeks after SSA benefits ended.
Brandt was ordered to pay $268,143 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.
#Judge #hands #sentence #Tijuana #resident #Social #Security #theft #Valley