Woman kept her mother's body to collect benefits

BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhuanet) -- A Florida woman kept
her dead mother's body in a bedroom for six years in order to receive more than
200,000 U.S. dollars in pension benefits, according to U.S. prosecutors.

Penelope Jordan, 61, was indicted by a grand jury
last week and formally charged in a federal court Thursday with Social Security
fraud and theft of U.S. funds, officials with the Department of Justice said.

Police found the decaying body of her mother, Timmie
Jordan, on a bed in a spare bedroom at the mother's home in late March, when
they were called to investigate a report of nuisance cats.

Penelope Jordan told police her mother had died in
2003.

Jordan collected 61,415 dollars from Social Security
and 176,461 dollars from the military pension during the six years, prosecutors
said.

She could face up to 15 years in prison.

(Agencies)