Daughter pockets decade’s-worth of dead mom’s Social Security benefits in NC, feds say

A woman pocketed over a decade’s worth of her dead mother’s Social Security benefits in North Carolina, federal authorities say.

Now, she faces prison time.

After the defendant’s mother died in 2007, Antoinette Andrea Colbert, 49, from Wilmington, North Carolina, never reported her death to the Social Security Administration, according to a Feb. 16 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Kyana K. Givens, Colbert’s defense attorney, declined a request for comment from McClatchy News.

Following her mother’s death, Colbert is accused of rerouting Social Security mailings and benefit card replacements to her address. Prosecutors say Colbert was seen on bank video footage using her mother’s Social Security benefits.

Colbert pleaded guilty to theft of government property, according to the release.

Between August 2008 and October 2019, Colbert is accused of stealing Social Security benefits “exceeding $1,000,” according to officials.

The exact amount was not stated.

According to the Social Security Administration, family members should report deaths of relatives receiving benefits to the office as soon as possible after their death.

“You should also give the deceased’s Social Security number to the funeral director as they usually report the person’s death to us,” the website states.

Colbert faces up to 10 years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced in May.

This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Daughter pockets decade’s-worth of dead mom’s Social Security benefits in NC, feds say."