Aiken Woman Convicted of Collecting Dead Mother’s Social Security Benefits

COLUMBIA, S.C. —A federal jury has convicted Cynthia Delores Holland, 61, of Aiken, formerly the county director of voter registration and elections, of fraudulently obtaining Social Security benefits. A guilty verdict was returned following a day and a half of trial.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Holland improperly obtained her mother’s retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) after her mother’s death in 2013. Those benefits continued to be paid by mistake into a joint account held by Holland and her mother. Rather than notify the SSA of the error, Holland moved the money into her personal account and spent it. Her theft took place until December 2022, when the error was discovered by the SSA, and the benefits were terminated. During that near-decade long span, Holland received over $168,000.

The discrepancy was identified in 2021 by the SSA during its Death Match Project. As part of the project, the SSA requested death verifications from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control going back to 2005, then compared those records with the list of SSA retirement beneficiaries. Holland’s mother’s name was on the list, which initiated the investigation.

“Holland’s actions showed a decade of deception as she continued receiving and spending benefits intended for her deceased mother,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We are committed to protecting our taxpayer-funded systems from fraud and abuse.”

“Cynthia Holland exploited her own mother’s death to steal from a program meant to support the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for SSA. “As a former public official, her deception is especially troubling. We will continue to pursue those who abuse Social Security for personal gain.”

Holland faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. She also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. presided over the trial and will sentence Holland after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.

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