A Portland woman pleaded guilty Friday to a federal charge of stealing more than $25,000 in Veterans Administration benefits intended for her roommate after her roommate had died.
Tammy J. McKenney, 49, who also has a listed address in Gray, appeared before Judge D. Brock Hornby in U.S. District Court in Portland and waived her right to have the case against her presented to a grand jury.
McKenney and her friend, Barbara Winter, opened a joint bank account in September 2001. Winter received direct deposits from the Veterans Administration, which she began receiving as a spouse of a military veteran after her husband died in 1989, according to a prosecution document in court records.
After Winter died on Dec. 8, 2012, McKenney continued to receive Winter’s monthly benefits of $1,473 for a total of $25,173 until the Veterans Administration terminated the benefits in May 2014. McKenney used the money to pay various expenses, including insurance and a bill left on Winter’s credit card, the prosecution document states.
McKenney was allowed to remain free on a personal recognizance bond while the case against her is pending. Her sentencing is scheduled for April 28, when she faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine for as much as $250,000.
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