12 charged with collecting Social Security for dead people in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A dozen people in Florida have been charged in 11 cases of stealing more than $700,000 in Social Security benefits.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tampa announced the charges Wednesday.

In Operation Dead Ringer, federal officials say they aggressively targeted people who stole money that the Social Security Administration had inadvertently paid to deceased beneficiaries, usually family members of those charged.

The 12 people charged with theft of government funds each face up to a decade in federal prison.