Herkimer County Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security Funds

TammyLynn Sterling Barthelmess Stole Social Security Funds Paid Into a Deceased Man’s Checking Account and Hid His Body

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – TammyLynn Sterling Barthelmess, age 62, of Little Falls, New York, pled guilty today to Conspiracy to Steal Government Funds and three Counts of Bank Fraud, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge John Grasso, Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”), New York Field Division.

As a part of her guilty plea today, Barthelmess admitted that she concealed the death of D.W., a tenant of hers in Little Falls, New York, who died in her home in 2006.  Barthelmess and others caused the body of D.W. to remain hidden until it was discovered in Little Falls on May 1, 2013, in an advanced state of decomposition inside a dog-crate behind an unoccupied house owned by the defendant. Following the death of D.W., TammyLynn Sterling Barthelmess and her daughter, Shannon Hardy Sekel, used the checking account of D.W. to steal Social Security retirement benefits that were deposited in the account each month. The defendant wrote checks from D.W.’s checking account until the payments stopped in May 2013 following the discovery of D.W.’s remains. As a further part of her guilty plea today, Barthelmess admitted to making false statements to New York State Police Investigators who interviewed her following the discovery of D.W.s body.

Shannon Hardy Sekel previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Government Money and Bank Fraud. Her sentencing is not yet scheduled.

At sentencing on June 24, 2020, in Binghamton, New York, TammyLynn Sterling Barthelmess faces a sentence of up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,00.00 for Conspiracy to Steal Government Money. For her convictions for bank fraud, she faces a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.00 for each of the three counts. The defendant may also be sentenced to serve up to 5 years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. As part of her guilty plea today, Barthelmess agreed to pay $ 110,948.00 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.

This case was investigated by the United States Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General (“SSA-OIG”), the New York State Police, and the City of Little Falls Police Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tamara B. Thomson and Richard R. Southwick.