A woman from Missouri has been given probation and community service as punishment for illegally receiving government benefits that were meant for her deceased grandmother. On January 21, 2025, U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk handed down the sentence, also instructing the woman to return the money she had unlawfully obtained.
The Office of the Inspector General has reported that Shamari Jackson, aged 33, managed to access $13,047 in Social Security benefits that were still being deposited into her grandmother’s account even after her grandmother’s passing. This was possible due to the failure to inform the Social Security Administration about the death, resulting in the continuation of payments. Jackson utilized the associated debit card to withdraw the funds. Apart from the Social Security benefits, Jackson also used a $1,200 COVID-19-related stimulus payment that was originally meant for her deceased grandmother.
In October 2024, Jackson acknowledged her mistakes and chose to plead guilty to a single felony charge of theft of government funds in the U.S. District Court. During her court hearing in January 2025, she took responsibility for her actions. As a consequence, she received a sentence of five years of probation and was required to fulfill 40 hours of community service. Moreover, she was instructed to repay the amount she had stolen.
According to Jackson’s LinkedIn page, she has experience working as a funeral home director from 2016 to 2022.