A Rochester woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing $12,973 in state pension payments sent to her deceased mother. According to State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, the defendant, Karen Walsh, was arraigned in Monroe County Centralized Arraignment Court on a charge of grand larceny before Judge Cook.
“Ms. Walsh allegedly tried to steal funds she was not entitled to from the state’s pension system,” DiNapoli said. “My office is committed to protecting the pension system, its members and their beneficiaries. My thanks to District Attorney Doorley and the New York State Police for their partnership in ensuring justice is served.”
“The defendant abused the New York State pension system, which is a crime against the taxpayers of the State of New York and a slap in the face to all of the public servants who dedicated their careers to serving our community,” said Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley. “These types of crimes are a betrayal to all of the hardworking taxpayers who reside in New York State. I want to thank the State Comptroller’s Office and the New York State Police for leading this investigation and sharing our commitment to take economic crimes seriously. We are fully prepared to prosecute this case and deliver the accountability New Yorkers deserve.”
Walsh’s mother, also of Rochester, received a monthly payment as the beneficiary of her deceased husband’s state pension. When she passed away in 2020, her pension payments should have stopped, but the pension system was not notified of her death until April 2022. The payments were then halted and DiNapoli’s office launched an investigation.
The investigation determined that after Walsh’s mother’s death, 18 direct deposits totaling $19,524 went to her bank account. Walsh allegedly stole $12,973 by withdrawing $4,333 from the account and transferring $8,600 to a second account in her mother’s name, to which she also had access. She wrote checks from that second account, forging her deceased mother’s name and endorsing the back of the checks with her own signature, before depositing them into her own account. Walsh also used the second account in her mother’s name to make personal credit card payments, pay for home improvements and buy groceries.
Walsh is due back in court on July 1.
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