Missouri Woman Admits Getting Payments for Long-Dead Mother

A 68-year-old Missouri woman has pleaded guilty to receiving disability payments intended for her mother, who died nearly 50 years ago.

Federal prosecutors say Marsha Gail Coy, of St. Peters, received more than $230,000 in the scheme. She pleaded guilty Thursday to bank fraud.

Coy’s mother worked for the Kirkwood school district until she retired in 1968. Although she died in 1969, the district’s retirement plan continued to make disability benefit payments into her bank accounts. The Public School Retirement Systems made the payments until learning in May 2018 that the woman had died. Coy’s father lived in a long-term care facility from 1996 until he died in 1999.

Coy must forfeit $231,148, which is the amount of disability benefits paid by PSRS after April 1, 1996.