A Syracuse man found out he can no longer collect state pension checks intended for his deceased mother.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says 45-year-old Michael Glinski stole nearly $22,000 from the pension system by concealing his mother’s death. He collected and deposited 17 checks using a power of attorney.
His mother retired from a job as clerk with the Solvay Police Department in 2014 and began drawing a pension check. DiNapoli said she also received pension from her deceased husband.
She passed in 2021, but it wasn’t discovered by the pension system until the following year. An investigation found Glinski cashed in the checks for more than a year. On Wednesday, a judge sentenced him to five years probation and ordered Glinski pay back all of the money.
Authorities do not see it as a victimless crime, because fraud erodes trust in systems meant to help people.