Little Falls Woman Stole Money From Dead Tenant For Over 6 Years

A Little Falls woman will be sentenced in June after she pled guilty to stealing a man’s social security benefits after he passed away.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, 62-year-old TammyLynn Sterling Barthelmess admitted to concealing the body of a tenant who passed away in her home in 2006.

She hid the tenant’s death until his body was discovered in Little Falls on May 1st, 2013 in an advanced decomposed state.

Following the death Barthelmess and her daughter, Shannon Hardy Sekel, used the tenant’s bank account to steal Social Security retirement benefits that were deposited.

She’s also charged with making false claims to State Police after the body of her tenant was discovered.

She’s pled guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Government Funds and three Counts of Bank Fraud.

Her daughter, Shannon Hardy Sekel, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Steal Government Money and Bank Fraud.