- Myriam Etienne’s , 49, grandfather passed away in 2006, and her grandmother died there three years later
- Etienne continued to collect her grandparents’ monthly Social Security benefits
- She received more than $130,000 in payments
- Some of the money was used to pay her home mortgage and bills on a BMW X6
Myriam Etienne, 49, from Pompano Beach, pocketed $130,000 in her grandparents’ Social Security benefits for ten years
A woman from south Florida has been found guilty of collecting her grandparents’ Social Security benefits despite them being dead for years.
Myriam Etienne, 49, from Pompano Beach, pocketed $130,000 in her grandparents’ Social Security benefits for more than ten years.
She used the cash to pay off the mortgage on her homse and make payments on a BMW X6 according to the Miami Herald.
The scam was easy to pull off as Etienne had a joint bank account that she shared with her grandparents before and after their deaths.
Etienne controlled the grandparents’ funds as a ‘representative payee.’ The monthly payments would be automatically deposited into her bank account each month.
The money kept flowing in despite Etienne’s grandfather dying in Haiti in 2006, followed by her grandmother three years later.
After they passed away, Etienne failed to inform the Social Security Administration and continued to receive the monthly payments according to the U.S. attorney’s office.
Etienne used the money to pay off the mortgage on her Pompano Beach house, pictured
The money also went to pay off Etienne’s BMW X6, file photo
The payments ranged from $698 in 2012 to $733 in 2016 for each of Etienne’s grandparents.
The Social Security Administration provides assistance to low-income people to help pay for food, housing, medical and clothing needs.
A U.S. District Judge has placed Etienne in custody while she awaits her sentence.
Etienne now faces 10 years in prison on each of her 90 theft convictions. She will also have to pay back the government.
Her sentencing is scheduled to begin April 5.