Woman admits to cashing dead mom’s pension checks for years
BUFFALO, N.Y. — A western New York woman admits to illegally collecting monthly pension payments for more than 30 years after the death of her mother.
State officials say Pearlann MacVittie of the Buffalo suburb of West Seneca pleaded guilty Thursday to grand larceny. She admits stealing nearly $300,000 in benefits from the City of Buffalo Firemen’s Pension Fund.
Authorities say the 73-year-old MacVittie knew she wasn’t entitled to the benefits after her mother, a firefighter’s widow, died in 1983. But they say she continued to sign her mother’s name on yearly forms to keep the checks coming. An audit by the state comptroller’s office uncovered the fraud.
MacVittie’s expected to receive five years of probation when she’s sentenced in June.