GOSHEN – A 58-year-old Middletown woman pled guilty in Orange County Court on Thursday, April 14 to grand larceny for collecting $54,000 in her late mother’s pension for two years after she died.
Valerie White’s mother was a pensioner, vested in the New York State and Local Retirement System. At the time she retired in 2000, she chose to receive her pension benefits in full until her death.
When her mother died in 2017, the death was not reported to the state and pension benefits continued to be made to an account that White jointly held with her mother. In the two years, until the state learned of the woman’s death, over $54,000 was deposited into the account.
The state was able to claw back roughly $2,500, but White spent the remainder on personal expenses.
When White pled guilty, she admitted to stealing the money and that she knew she did not have permission or authority to take it.
The investigation was conducted by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the State Comptroller’s Office and State Police.
