Roselyn Mims, 51, pleaded guilty to theft of government property. According to court documents, Mims was a Certified Nurse Assistant and In-Home Support Services (IHSS) home healthcare provider in the State of California, and she provided IHSS care to an elderly woman who received monthly Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits. When the elderly woman passed away, her death was not reported to SSA and, as a result, SSA continued to direct deposit SSA benefits into her bank account. Following the elderly woman’s death, Mims possessed her checkbook tied to the account that received SSA benefits.
From August 2016 through August 2023, Mims used those stolen checks to make out checks to herself and others. In particular, Mims forged the elderly woman’s signature, either cashed or deposited the forged checks, and then gave the money to associates or family members or used the money to pay various bills, including rent, utilities, and medical bills. When Mims ran out of checks from the checkbook, she used the elderly woman’s bank account number and routing number to pay bills electronically. Mims only stopped her theft and conversion of the SSA benefits after being interviewed by law enforcement in August 2023. Mims’ theft of government funds resulted in a total loss of $156,445 to SSA. She has agreed to pay this amount back in restitution.
