A Missouri woman has admitted to stealing her brother’s Social Security disability payments while he was incarcerated. Lora Houck, 57, from Kahoka in Clark County, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of theft of government money.
Houck, who had power of attorney over her brother and control of his bank accounts, acknowledged that she accessed his disability benefits despite knowing he was not entitled to them during his imprisonment. Her brother was incarcerated from May 2013 until June 2023, but the benefits ceased in September 2021. During this period, Houck misappropriated a total of $157,323.
Houck is scheduled for sentencing on September 23 and could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll.
