A Las Vegas woman made her initial federal court appearance Tuesday accused of quietly collecting more than $365,000 in Social Security payments that prosecutors say should have stopped after her grandmother died. According to federal authorities, the alleged scheme ran from April 2009 through February 2026 and relied on a debit card issued in the grandmother’s name that let the defendant tap into funds deposited into the account. She is now facing federal bank fraud, theft-of-government-money and aggravated identity-theft charges.
In a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, prosecutors identify the defendant as Narda Yvonne Locklear. They allege she made false representations to the Social Security Administration on a Supplemental Security Income application and during redeterminations, which helped keep the payments flowing. The Justice Department says the SSA continued depositing Social Security Retirement Insurance Benefits into a bank account and that Locklear had a debit card tied to that account, allowing her to withdraw the money for her own use.
Las Vegas Woman Indicted For Fraudulently Obtaining Over $365,000 In Social Security Payments https://t.co/1dFcPIhFNs
— US Attorney Nevada (@usao_nv) March 25, 2026
Charges, court calendar and potential penalties
The U.S. Attorney’s Office highlighted the indictment on U.S. Attorney Nevada on X, noting that Locklear made her initial appearance Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts and that the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General handled the investigation. The social media post links back to the Justice Department release, which lays out the allegations and the work of investigators.
As detailed by the U.S. Department of Justice, the indictment charges three counts of bank fraud, two counts of theft of government money and one count of aggravated identity theft. A jury trial is scheduled for May 18, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon. Prosecutors note the counts carry a combined statutory maximum of 112 years in prison, although any actual sentence would be set by the judge and guided by federal sentencing rules.
How the Social Security OIG investigates and how to report suspected fraud
The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General is the watchdog that reviews fraud tips, runs initial screenings and, when warranted, refers cases to federal prosecutors. According to the SSA OIG’s reporting portal, anyone who suspects that Social Security benefits are being misused can file a report through the online form or call the hotline to trigger a review.
The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The case is expected to move through pretrial motions and other procedures in the coming weeks ahead of the May jury trial date, with prosecutors emphasizing that the investigation was conducted in coordination with the SSA OIG.
