United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated that Emma Bowens was sentenced recently in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, for social security fraud.  
United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, sentenced Bowens to five years’ probation and ordered her to pay $23,873.00 in restitution.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Bowens lived with her mother, Tenner Townsend, who died on May 31, 2010.  Townsend was receiving Social Security Retirement Insurance benefits at the time of her death, and Bowens failed to report the death. Instead, Bowens continued to cash the Social Security checks by signing her mother’s name to the checks.
At the time the Social Security Administration discovered the death in August 2012, an overpayment of $23,873 had been made.
The case was investigated by agents of the Social Security Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II of the Florence office handled the case.