Former Savannah River Nuclear Site (SRNS) employee Effie Mae Youmans of Columbia has pleaded guilty to stealing pension payments from her deceased relative.
According to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) investigation, Youmans, 71, withdrew pension funds that continued to be deposited after her relative—an SRNS retiree—had died.
An SRNS investigator said the site was not immediately notified of the retiree's death and continued issuing payments over an18-month period that totaled $54,450. As an SRNS pension recipient herself, authorities say, Youmans knew she was not entitled to the funds.
Youmans must repay the stolen money as part of her plea agreement. She will be sentenced at a later date.
SRNS is a DOE-owned industrial complex. The case was investigated by the DOE's Office of Inspector General.