Annette Bigelow, 60, and Mary Nash, 59, hid their mother’s death and collected nearly $22,000 in state pension payments between 2013 and 2015, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced.
Specifically, the sisters, both from Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty to one count of felony grand larceny, Westchester County District Attorney Anthony Scarpino, Jr. said.
"This was a deliberate act to abuse the system,” DiNapoli said. “Bigelow and Nash covered up their mother’s death for two years to steal from the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System.
“They now have judgments against them to repay the stolen funds. Those who try to scam the retirement system will be held accountable.”
Bigelow and Nash appeared before Westchester County Court Judge David Zuckerman this week to submit their plea. Both sisters are due back in court Jan. 6 next year for sentencing.
“This is another instance where people trying to scam the system have gotten caught taking money from the people of New York,” Scarpino said in a statement. “We continue to work with State Comptroller DiNapoli to stop this kind of fraud. We hope this sends a message to others who might think they could get away with it.”
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