Semiha Nilgun Gencsoy, a 71-year-old resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing stolen money. She admitted to fraudulently receiving $328,478.38 in pension benefits meant for West Virginia public employees.
Court documents reveal that Gencsoy's father was a mechanical engineering professor at West Virginia University who began receiving pension benefits upon his retirement in June 1985. After his death in June 2007, Gencsoy's mother started receiving survivor benefits from the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (WVCPRB). These payments were deposited into a joint bank account shared by Gencsoy and her mother.
Following her mother's death in April 2008, Gencsoy was appointed as the administrator of her mother's estate. During her guilty plea, she acknowledged that she was aware her father's benefits should have ceased with her mother's passing and that it was her responsibility to inform the WVCPRB and close their joint account. However, she failed to take these actions.
Between May 2008 and June 2023, more than 180 monthly survivor benefit payments were deposited into the joint account, totaling $328,478.38. Gencsoy confessed to transferring these funds into an account she controlled for personal use.
Gencsoy's sentencing is set for August 28, 2025. She faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Additionally, she must pay restitution amounting to $328,478.38.
The announcement came from Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston who praised the efforts of the WVCPRB and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) for their investigative work.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston oversaw the hearing while Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is handling the prosecution.
Further information regarding this case can be accessed through PACER by searching Case No. 2:25-cr-75 on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website for the Southern District of West Virginia.