State: NY woman stole USD 67K from dead mom's pension cheques

Authorities say a 45-year-old New York woman collected her mother's state pension cheques for several years after her parent's death.
The offices of the state comptroller and attorney general announced yesterday that Tammy Banack, of Kirkville in Onondaga County, collected more than USD 67,000 from the state pension fund during a five-and-a-half-year period.
Officials say her mother died on December 31, 2009, at age 64. Banack and her mother had a joint bank account into which the pension cheques were deposited. Authorities say Banack never told the bank or the state retirement system that her mother had died.
Officials say Banack used the money to pay for her basic living expenses.

The charges against her include grand larceny. She has been released from the county jail.
A phone listing for Banack couldn't be found.