A St. Louis woman has been sentenced for stealing government benefits intended for her deceased grandmother. U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk delivered the sentence on Tuesday, requiring the woman to repay the stolen funds and imposing five years of probation along with 40 hours of community service.
Shamari Jackson, aged 33, accessed $13,047 in Social Security benefits using her grandmother's debit card. These payments continued after her grandmother's death was not reported to the Social Security Administration. Additionally, Jackson used a $1,200 COVID-19-related stimulus payment meant for her grandmother.
Jackson entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money.
The investigation into this case was conducted by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted.