U. S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming | US Attorney - Eastern District of Missouri
U. S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming | US Attorney - Eastern District of Missouri
A woman from St. Louis admitted on Monday to stealing government benefits intended for her deceased grandmother. Shamari Jackson, 32, entered a guilty plea in U.S. District Court in St. Louis for one felony count of theft of government money.
As part of her plea, Jackson acknowledged that the deaths of her grandmother and father were not properly reported to the Social Security Administration. She used her grandmother's debit card to access $13,047 in Social Security benefits, which continued to be deposited into her grandmother's account posthumously. Additionally, she used a $1,200 COVID-19-related stimulus payment meant for her grandmother.
Jackson is set to be sentenced on January 21, 2025. The charge of theft of government funds carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke.
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