Albert Bayer, a 64-year-old South Carolina man, formerly from Hillsborough County, Florida, was handed a prison sentence for theft of government property after he admitted to pocketing his late wife's Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits. The Department of Justice reported that U.S. District Judge William F. Jung sentenced Bayer to one year and one day in federal prison, along with a forfeiture order to pay back $76,547, the total sum he stole.

Following his guilty plea in March 2024, it came to light that Bayer had been unlawfully accessing benefits since April 2015, continuing until June 2023 despite his wife L.D. having passed away on March 31, 2015, his deceitful act unfolded shortly after her death, when he chose not to inform the Social Security Administration (SSA), resulting in the SSA unknowingly continuing the payments that Bayer redirected to cover personal costs without the merest pause.

The investigation which brought Bayer to justice was led by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler held the reins of prosecution, ensuring that Bayer's actions did not remain in the shadows. The case reveals a breach of trust against not only the institution designed to aid the disadvantaged but also the memory of his deceased spouse, whose name was used inappropriately to siphon funds for personal indulgences.