A Knoxville woman could serve up to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of receiving nearly $100,000 from her mother’s retirement benefits after she died.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Friday that Leslie Schwinzer, 46, of Knoxville, has pleaded guilty to a one count information of wire fraud. She faces a term of imprisonment of up to 20 years and will be ordered to pay $56,351.55 to the New York State and Local Retirement System.

After her mother’s death in July 2018, Schwinzer admitted in a plea agreement that she received a total of $92,222.55 from both monthly NYSLRS payments and bi-weekly Social Security payments deposited into a joint bank account held with her mother.

Schwinzer withdrew all the deposited funds from the account until she was questioned by the bank on December 19, 2019, about whether her mother had passed away. However, Schwinzer continued to allow SSA and NYSLRS payments to be made into the account until January 31, 2021.

The Social Security Administration was able to recover the funds it had paid to the joint account following Schwinzer’s mother’s death and the $56,351.55 restitution payment will be made to New York State.

She is set to be sentenced for July 14, 2022 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.