BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 55-year-old woman from Buffalo pleaded guilty to stealing over $54,715 from her deceased grandmother's state pension payments.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Erie County District Attorney John Flynn issued a press release on Friday, December 1, stating that 55-year-old Bernadette Russell was convicted of grand larceny for her crime
According to investigators, Russell planned to hide the death of her grandmother, Lorraine Stenclik so that she could steal from the state retirement system. Stenclik died in 2019. She retired from the City of Buffalo in 1985 and received her pension through direct deposit to her bank account.
“Bernadette Russell schemed to hide her grandmother’s death in order to steal from the state retirement system,” State Comptroller DiNapoli said.
Stenclik's pension payments should have stopped after her death, but 33 monthly pension deposits totaling $54,715 were deposited into her account.
The State Comptroller's office and the Erie County District Attorney say they continue to investigate activity and attempts to commit fraud.
“By defrauding the state retirement system, this defendant stole from the taxpayers of New York," DA Flynn said.
Investigators say that Russell made several withdrawals with her grandmother's debit card and made payments to one of her utility accounts.
Russell pleaded guilty in Erie County Court before Judge Paul Wojtaszek and is scheduled to return to court on February 8, 2024 for sentencing.
