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Deltona resident Bobby Morlen, 54, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for theft of government funds, officials said. The federal court judge also ordered Morlen to pay restitution of $131,457.16, the amount of proceeds from the offense.
A federal jury had found Morlen guilty on January 22.
According to evidence presented at trial, Morlen’s mother was receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Morlen’s mother died on August 18, 2014. Her death was not reported to either agency, and the agencies continued to make benefit payments into her bank account, a court spokesman said.
Morlen was a joint holder on the account into which his mother’s benefits were being deposited. He used the funds deposited after her death for his own personal expenses, the spokesman said.
— Joe Crews
