Oregon Woman Spent Seven Years Taking Dead Mother’s Social Security Checks to Pay Her Bills

A 51-year-old Salem woman who stole $101,000 Social Security benefits from her dead mother’s bank account did so to pay her bills, an Oregon U.S. District Judge was told yesterday.

Judge Adrienne Nelson sentenced Donna J. Royston to three years of federal probation. She also ordered Royston to repay $100,898.88 to the Social Security Administration and, as restitution, a further $3,200 of stolen COVID-relief funds which had been deposited into her mother’s bank account by the IRS.

The Woman’s Mother Died of Cancer in 2016

Royston’s mother died of cancer in 2016, and the bank account withdrawals took place over a period of seven years, between January 2017 and February 2024.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Trisotto, Royston immediately accepted responsibility for her actions when confronted by federal agents.

The woman has no prior convictions, and both the defense and prosecution recommended that Royston be given probation. The court also heard that Royston had health issues and related medical bills.