PICAYUNE, Miss. (WHLT) – U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca announced a Picayune woman pled guilty to theft of public money by collecting benefits using two Social Security numbers.

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.

According to LaMarca, 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.

Bryan will be sentenced on July 17, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General.