Two Sapulpa Women Plead Guilty to Illegally Collecting More Than $350,000 in Death Benefits

Two Sapulpa women pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to illegally taking more than $350,000 in Social Security and military retirement benefits that were meant for their mother, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. 

Patricia Lee Kendall, 66, and Peggy Lee Larue, 63, both of Sapulpa, pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting each other to illegally take and conceal government property in the form of money from both the Social Security Administration and the Department of Defense Military Retirement Fund. The women admitted in court that they failed to notify authorities of their mother’s death in December 2000. Previously, their mother had received the death benefit payments as a result of her husband’s military service.  After their mother passed away, the payments should have ceased.