Picayune Woman Pleads Guilty to Collecting Benefits Under Two Social Security Numbers

For Immediate Release

U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Mississippi

Jackson, Miss. – A Picayune woman pled guilty to theft of public money by collecting benefits using two Social Security numbers, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jason Albers of the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General, Dallas-Kansas City Field Division.

According to court records, Zenda Marie Bryan, 69, admitted receiving Disability Insurance Benefits and Supplemental Security Income benefits using one Social Security number while simultaneously using another Social Security number to obtain and maintain employment. This conduct occurred in the Western District of Oklahoma, where she was charged in a federal indictment. The charges have since been transferred to the Southern District of Mississippi, where Bryan is now living.

“Ms. Zenda Bryan misused SSA programs and numbers for her own gain; her actions not only defrauded the Disability Insurance Benefit program but also the Supplemental Security Income program, a critical safety net for those in need.