SNELLVILLE, Ga. – An 87-year-old woman and her 89-year-old husband have been arrested for allegedly stealing over $1 million in pension payments intended for the woman’s deceased mother.
Authorities say Mary Ann Arceneaux and Ernest Arceneaux fraudulently collected pension checks for 14 years after Mary Ann’s mother passed away in 2010. The payments, issued by the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), were meant for her mother, who had retired from teaching and moved to California in 1991.
How They Pulled Off the Scheme
Instead of reporting her mother’s death, Mary Ann allegedly continued forging documents to make it appear as though her mother was still alive. The scheme unraveled when CalSTRS officials noticed that the pension recipient would have been 120 years old and launched an investigation.
Authorities later uncovered a death certificate confirming that Mary Ann’s mother had died in 2010. Investigators say the Arceneauxs transferred the pension payments into their accounts, accumulating a total of $1,116,862.69 in stolen funds.
Charges & Legal Proceedings
The couple was arrested by Gwinnett County Police and charged with identity fraud and theft by deception. They have since posted bail, but the case remains under investigation.