Prisoner convicted in Social Security case

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) - Authorities say a jury has convicted an 80-year-old Michigan prisoner and his daughter-in-law of conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Miles' office said in a news release that David McPeters and 57-year-old Kathryn McPeters of Battle Creek were convicted last Thursday. The release says David McPeters has been a Michigan Department of Corrections inmate since receiving two life sentences for murder.

Miles' office says evidence showed the two conspired to get around a law barring prisoners from getting Social Security retirement benefits. According to Miles' office, Kathryn McPeters used David McPeters' name and personal information to apply for benefits on his behalf, but hid that he was incarcerated.

The release says the scheme netted them roughly $250,000 between 2006 and 2015, with the majority of benefits going to Kathryn McPeters.

Sentencing hadn't yet been scheduled.

Published: Mon, Mar 28, 2016