NEW ORLEANS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO THEFT OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS
BERTRAND R. TAYLOR, age 66, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty in federal court yesterday before U. S. District Court Judge Martin L.C. Feldman, to theft of government funds, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, TAYLOR’s mother was a beneficiary of the Social Security Administration (SSA), an agency of the United States. TAYLOR was a representative payee for his mother. TAYLOR failed to inform SSA of his mother’s death on June 3, 1984 and SSA continued to provide monthly benefits to TAYLOR from June 1984 to September 2010. TAYLOR continued to receive his mother’s SSA benefits and used the funds for his own personal use. In all, TAYLOR received $175,184 to which he was not entitled.
Upon sentencing, set for January 25, 2012, TAYLOR faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a $250,0000 fine, restitution to SSA, and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Julia K. Evans.
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