She Pretended To Be Her Dead Mom For 25 Years, Feds Say

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Minnesota woman has admitted to stealing more than $360,000 in Social Security benefits by impersonating her deceased mother over a 25-year period, federal prosecutors announced.

Mavious Redmond, 54, of Austin, Minnesota pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds in U.S. District Court on April 9 before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

"We are awash in federal programs fraud," said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick after the woman's guilty plea.

"Redmond stole well more than a quarter million dollars in taxpayer funds. She scammed social security for literal decades. No more. My office will continue to aggressively pursue the federal programs fraud that plagues Minnesota."

According to court documents, Redmond carried out a scheme to collect her deceased mother’s social security retirement benefits following her mother’s death in January 1999.

On multiple occasions, Redmond impersonated her deceased mother to keep her fraud scheme going, authorities said.

In one instance, on June 4, 2024, Redmond personally visited the SSA office, posing as her deceased mother, and submitted a fraudulent SS-5 Application for Social Security Form using her mother’s name, date of birth, social security number, and forging her deceased mother’s signature, according to prosecutors.

Redmond visited the SSA office a second time on June 20, 2024, resubmitted her deceased mother’s documentation and the form with the forged signature.

In total, from January 1999 through June 2024, Redmond collected more than $360,000 in social security payments intended for her mother, authorities said.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans is prosecuting the case.