U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest | U.S. Department of Justice
Burlington, Vermont – On December 2, 2024, Maryann Manning, a resident of Wolcott, Vermont, was sentenced to two years of probation by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss. In addition to the probationary sentence, Chief Judge Reiss ordered Manning to pay $119,978 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. Manning had previously pleaded guilty to receiving stolen government money.
Court records revealed that Manning's brother had been receiving disability insurance benefit payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA). These benefits were supposed to cease upon his death in October 2015. However, after his passing, Manning continued to collect her brother’s benefits by withdrawing funds from his accounts. She admitted during investigations that she knowingly took money that was not hers. The total financial loss incurred by the SSA amounted to more than $119,000.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest praised the investigatory work carried out by the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General.
The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig while Robert Behrens represented Manning.
