Daughter of Deceased TRS Retiree Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $15K in Fraudulent Benefits

Yesterday, Julia Frances Davis pled guilty in Lowndes County Superior Court to 12 counts of Theft by Taking before Judge James E. Hardy. Davis, the daughter of a deceased Teachers’ Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) retiree, fraudulently collected retirement benefits following the death of her parents. Between November 2008 and November 2009, the defendant stole $15,778.50 from TRS.

Davis’ father, the retiree, died on December 1, 2005, and her mother then began receiving survival benefits. The benefits were electronically transferred into a joint bank account with the defendant. On December 20 2005, the defendant executed a Contact Authorization Form for TRS acknowledging that payment of retirement benefits would cease upon her mother’s death, and it was incumbent upon her to notify TRS of and to return to TRS any benefits issued after her mother’s death. On November 11, 2008, Davis’ mother died, but TRS continued paying retirement benefits until it discovered her mother’s death in November 2009.

Assistant Attorney General Shepard Orlow prosecuted the case on behalf of the State of Georgia. The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Davis will be sentenced on July 20, 2012.