Elderly Man Steals $350,634 From Deceased Mother’s Account for 17 Years, Faces Decades in Prison
A Pennsylvania man faces up to 20 years in prison after draining more than $350,000 worth of government benefits sent to his deceased mother.
Prosecutors say that Richard Burke, 76, withdrew money from his deceased mother’s bank account between April 2005 and March 2022, taking cash that was distributed through her Social Security Retirement, Survivors and Disability (RSDI) benefits and Veterans Affairs death pension benefit payments.
Burke’s mother died in 2005 and was the sole person entitled to those benefits. Burke didn’t notify the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that she had passed away and instead continued to make cash withdrawals, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Burke was charged in August and pleaded guilty to wire fraud in federal court last week. He faces up to two decades in prison and a fine. His case was investigated by the SSA and the VA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), and his sentencing is not yet scheduled.
Earlier this month, a mother-and-son duo was arrested on allegations of running a Covid-fraud scheme targeting the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
In a statement from U.S. Attorney Eric Grant, 49-year-old Yolanda Butler was arrested in Oklahoma, while her son, 28-year-old Legerrius Holt, was arrested in Colorado.
A third defendant, 33-year-old Quamaine Massey, was also arrested in Ohio.
All three defendants were charged with mail fraud, while Butler and Holt were additionally charged with aggravated identity theft.
Generated Image: Midjourney
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
Polymarket’s Adherence to CFTC Regulations Connects Cryptocurrency with Conventional Financial Systems
- Polymarket secures CFTC approval to resume U.S. operations under a regulated framework after a 2022 $1.4M fine for unregistered derivatives trading. - The platform now complies with federal requirements including real-time surveillance and trade reporting, partnering with ICE after a $2B investment. - Its re-entry enables U.S. brokerages to integrate prediction markets, boosting liquidity and attracting traders previously excluded by regulatory barriers. - The $10B valuation surge and strategic QCX acqui
Mutuum Presale Investors Rush to Secure Tokens Before Price Surges to $0.04
- Mutuum Finance's Phase 6 presale nears 95% allocation at $0.035, raising over $19M with 250% price growth since Phase 1. - The DeFi protocol offers non-custodial P2C/P2P lending, mtToken yield mechanisms, and plans for stablecoins/cross-chain expansion. - Dual audits by Halborn and CertiK, plus Q4 2025 testnet launch plans, bolster credibility as 18,200+ holders compete for tokens. - With 800M+ tokens sold and Phase 7 approaching $0.04, the project aims to redefine lending through user-controlled, incent
Bitcoin News Today: Bitcoin Holds Strong at $84K Amid Institutional Optimism and Broader Economic Challenges
- Bitcoin drops 31% to $82,000 as 2025 market cycle mirrors 2021's bull run, testing critical $84,000–$86,000 support levels amid rising U.S. yields and Fed hawkishness. - Institutional inflows into FBTC/IBIT and whale accumulation counter macro headwinds, with JPMorgan upgrading miners and projecting 2026 rebound potential. - Current market differs from 2021 with institutional focus on utility-driven use cases (cross-border payments, DeFi) and regulatory progress like Ripple's RLUSD approval in UAE. - Fed
Ethereum News Today: Hayes: Most L1s Are Fragile, Only Ethereum and Solana Will Endure
- Arthur Hayes warns most L1 blockchains outside Ethereum and Solana face collapse due to lack of utility and structural viability. - He criticizes projects like Monad for high FDV and low float, predicting 99% crashes when early investors unlock tokens. - Ethereum's modular architecture and Solana's speed-positioned for 2026 dominance-contrast with fragmented L2 ecosystems. - Hayes backs privacy coins like Zcash, citing institutional interest and potential growth from global liquidity expansion. - He fore
Trending news
MoreCrypto prices
More
