MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a 32-year-old woman incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institute in Waseca, Minnesota, was indicted for stealing more than $23,000 in Social Security benefits. Nefertiti Randall was charged with one count of theft of government money or property.

The indictment alleges that from June 12, 2009, through May 16, 2012, Randall stole $23,012 from the Social Security Administration. The funds, which were deposited automatically into a bank account accessible to both Randall and her mother, represented benefits intended solely for Randall’s mother. Her mother died in June of 2009, and in August of 2009, Randall began serving an unrelated, multi-year, identity-theft sentence at the Federal Correctional facility in Waseca. According to the indictment, Randall nonetheless continued to access her mother’s social security benefits until spring of 2012.

If convicted, Randall faces a potential maximum penalty of ten years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. This case is the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General, with cooperation from the United States Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Manda M. Sertich.

An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.