AIKEN, S.C. () – A federal jury convicted a former Aiken County director of voter registration and elections for fraudulently receiving over $168,000 in Social Security benefits, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Cynthia Delores Holland, 61, of Aiken, was found guilty after a day and a half-long trial.

According to the evidence obtained in the investigation, Holland “improperly obtained her mother’s retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) after her mother’s death in 2013.” The benefits were mistakenly paid into a joint bank account up until 2022, when SSA discovered the error and terminated the payments. It was stated that Holland did not notify SSA of the error, but instead moved the money into her personal account and spent it.

The announcement from the U.S. DOJ states the discrepancy was found through the SSA’s Death Match Project, which requested death verifications from the state and compared the record with the list of retirement beneficiaries.

Holland faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, including a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. She will be sentenced after a report is prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

“Cynthia Holland exploited her own mother’s death to steal from a program meant to support the most vulnerable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, Acting Inspector General for SSA. “As a former public official, her deception is especially troubling. We will continue to pursue those who abuse Social Security for personal gain.”