The former director of Aiken County elections has been convicted of fraudulently obtaining and spending her dead mother’s Social Security benefits for nearly a decade.
Cynthia Holland, who retired as executive director of Aiken County elections last year, faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and restitution after a jury found her guilty Monday of one count of embezzling public money.
“Holland engaged in a decade of deception receiving and spending benefits intended for her deceased mother,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the South Carolina District. “We are committed to protecting our taxpayer-funded systems from fraud and abuse.”
An investigation found that Holland first obtained the retirement benefits after her mother’s death in 2013, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office. The benefits continued to be paid in error into a joint account Holland shared with her mother until December 2022. As the funds came in, Holland transferred the money to herself and spent it.
When the error was corrected, Holland had received over $168,000, the release said. It was found by the Social Security Administration’s Death Match Project, which compared death records to retirement beneficiaries, in 2021.
“As a former public official, her deception is especially troubling. We will continue to pursue those who abuse Social Security for personal gain,” said Michelle L. Anderson, acting inspector general for the Social Security Administration.
