A Minnesota woman has admitted to a staggering 25-year Social Security fraud scheme, pleading guilty to theft of government funds in a Minneapolis federal court.
Mavious Redmond, 54, of Austin, Minnesota, confessed to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits over a quarter of a century by impersonating her deceased mother, according to a Monday release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Redmond’s scheme began in January 1999, following her mother’s death. She continued to collect her mother’s Social Security retirement benefits for more than two decades.
The government’s news release said Redmond repeatedly impersonated her mother to keep the fraudulent payments flowing, exploiting a system meant to support retirees.
On June 4, 2024, Redmond visited a Social Security Administration office, posing as her deceased mother.
She submitted a fraudulent SS-5 Application for Social Security form, using her mother’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number.
She even forged her mother’s signature on the form, a blatant act of fraud that underscores the audacity of her scheme, prosecutors said.
Redmond returned to the SSA office on June 20, 2024, resubmitting the same fraudulent documentation with the forged signature, further perpetuating her deception.
Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick