EAST ST. LOUIS — The United State's Attorney's Office in East St. Louis announced today announced Mia Lynn Cousett, 33, of Alton, Illinois, pled guilty this morning to 12 felony counts, each charging her with theft of government funds. The stolen funds were social security checks payable to Cousett’s mother, who died in April 2017.
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In court, Cousett admitted that for 12 months after her mother died, she continued to cash her mother’s social security checks and used the funds for her own expenses. Cousett forged her dead mother’s signature on the backs of each check, deposited the checks into her mother’s bank account, and then accessed the money using her mother’s debit card. In total, Cousett stole $15,601. Cousett also admitted that she used her dead mother’s driver’s license number to conceal and perpetuate her crimes.
Sentencing is set for May 20, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis. Each of the charges carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, in addition to restitution. As part of her plea agreement, Cousett agreed to voluntarily resign from her position as a letter carrier for the post office in Alton before her sentencing hearing.
The investigation was conducted by agents from the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Chicago Field Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Chicago Division, St. Louis Field Office, and the Alton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Scott A. Verseman and Luke J. Weissler.
