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Legal Assistant Cashes Dead Dad?s Checks for 14 Years

By Lynne DeVenny

I don?t know what?s worse here, a career legal assistant cashing her deceased dad?s Civil Service retirement checks in the amount of $2,650 a month for 14 years ? or the federal government not verifying that a fellow who would?ve been closing in on 100 years old was still alive. He was 83 when he died - in 1992.



Okay, he was her adoptive dad, but still.

Actually, even after being sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days of house arrest, the Florida legal assistant, Lisa Kay Maitland, still made out like a bandit.

Although the federal government issued her dad?s retirement checks like clockwork after his death, to the tune of over $361,000, because he died in 1992 the statute of limitations had expired for most of that period. The Marco Eagle reports that Maitland plead guilty to and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of only $23,000 and some change for the period from June 2005 through February 2006.

U.S. District Court Judge Charlene Honeywell was disappointed in the 30-year veteran of the legal profession, stating, ?I?m troubled by the fact that she worked in the legal community and felt pressed to commit this offense.?

If you?re a victim of federal budget cuts in a tough economy, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Michelland rubs a little salt in the wound by pointing out that Maitland?s embezzlement from the federal government contributed to that.

Source: Marco Eagle      

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on January 10, 2011 (boomark / email).