NH Man Stole $172K From Dead Mother's Pension: AG

CONCORD, NH — A Merrimack man who stole more than $172,000 from his dead mother's pension fund over a decade pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord, authorities announced Friday. David Laughton, 52, admitted to two counts of theft. Laughton's mother died in June 2005 and he started the scheme soon after, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Murray.

Laughton's mother had been receiving widow's benefits from the Social Security Administration and federal benefits from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. Laughton accessed the pension account after this mother's death and over the course of a decade used more than $172,000 to pay for personal expenses, Murray said. Laughton never informed the pension holders the payments were in error.

Laughton will be sentenced in September.

"Federal benefit programs serve an important purpose," Murray said in a statement. "We work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify instances of fraud and abuse in these programs to ensure that these benefits only go to those who are entitled to receive them."

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