ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) – An Ithaca woman is accused of stealing her late husband’s pension payments.

According to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, 73-year-old Sharon Collins continued to collect $69,481 in state payments she was not entitled to after her spouse passed away in 2020.

“Sharon Collins allegedly took advantage of her late husband’s death to try to cheat the pension system,” DiNapoli said. “She will be held accountable, and my office will continue to partner with law enforcement to protect the pension fund. My thanks to District Attorney [Matt] Van Houten and the New York State Police for their work on this case.”

Collins’s husband retired in 2014 as facilities manager for New York State Colleges at Cornell, and he chose a single life allowance option. After he died in 2020, his wife did not notify the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS).

From August 2020 through June 2022, Collins collected 23 pension payments in the couple’s joint bank account. NYSLRS stopped payments after learning of the death and tried to reclaim the funds. When Collins became aware of that effort, she allegedly withdrew the balance of $26,408.61.

“I commend the efforts of the New York State Police in collaboration with the New York State Comptroller’s Office in diligently pursuing this investigation,” said Tompkins County District Attorney Matt Van Houten. “This kind of fraudulent activity has no place in our community.”

Collins is charged with grand larceny. She was arraigned in Lansing Town Court.