Woman Collected $300,000 in Social Security from Dead Relative

Social Security Benefits

Laura J. Entrikin, age 60 of Boardman, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison and one year of supervised release for using her deceased mother’s identity to steal social security benefits.  Entrikin was also ordered to pay $322,322 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.

As part of her guilty plea, Entrikin admitted to forging her deceased mother’s name on 147 checks in order to withdraw social security retirement benefits deposited into the account after her mother died.

Laura J. Entrikin was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of bank fraud, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft.

Entrikin has collected more than $300,000 in social security benefits from her mother who passed away nearly twenty years ago.

According to the indictment, since 1991, Entrikin has cashed 147 checks totaling $322,322 from the Key Bank account of her deceased mother, Barbara Entrikin.

Investigators say that although Barbara Entrikin died on December 26, 1990, Social Security continued paying retirement benefits to Barbara Entrikin.

According to Mahoning County Probate Court records, Laura Entrikin was listed as the sole fiduciary of the estate of Barbara Ann Entrikin.