Doylestown Woman Accused Of Stealing Social Security Checks Intended For Her Mother
By Brad Segall
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A 65-year-old Doylestown woman has been ordered held for trial after she was accused of stealing social security checks intended for her mother, who died nearly twenty years ago.
Prosecutors say Helen Pulak cashed nearly $90,000 worth of social security payments, that's 14 years of checks that were being sent to her mother even though she passed away in 1996.
The charges include two felony theft offenses according to prosecutor Ryan Hyde, who says she was depositing the money then using it to pay her bills.
"The federal government, or us as the taxpayers, are the victims of this crime because this is as a charge of theft to make the required disposition of funds. She had a duty not to take those funds anymore."
The payments ended four years ago when the Social Security Administration discovered that her mother had died.
Pulak remains free on bail while awaiting her trial.
