Show-Me State Times

A Missouri woman, Ronda G. Oswalt, has pleaded guilty to taking more than $75,000 in retirement benefits to which she was not entitled after the death of her mother-in-law. Oswalt, 58, of Marion County, near Hannibal, Missouri, admitted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of theft of government money. She confessed to using the federal retirement benefits that continued to be deposited into her deceased mother-in-law's credit union account to cover personal expenses.

According to Oswalt's guilty plea, she failed to notify the U.S. Office of Personnel Management about the death of her mother-in-law in December 2018. She continued to receive and use the funds for personal expenses, including writing checks to herself and paying personal bills, totaling $75,734 between December 2018 and November 2021.

Oswalt is set to be sentenced on July 25 and could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.