Topline: Authorities say Stone wrapped the body in plastic and poured bleach over it to hide the death and steal nearly $9,000.
Published: July 20, 2025 8:00 am ET
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ROCHESTER, NY — Wendy Stone didn’t report the death of her housemate. Instead, according to federal prosecutors, she wrapped the body in plastic, stashed it in a recycling bin in her basement, and poured bleach over it for months—just long enough to keep the government money coming.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. sentenced the 63-year-old Rochester woman to 12 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to unlawfully converting government funds. As the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York described it, Stone not only hid the death of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient she lived with—identified only as Victim 1—but also actively schemed to keep receiving that person’s monthly federal benefits.
Victim 1 died sometime around December 28, 2022. Prosecutors say Stone discovered the body days later.
She was well aware that Victim 1 collected SSI benefits, but rather than report the death, she took Victim 1’s debit card and started spending the funds herself. Over the next nine months, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Testani, Stone collected nearly $8,000 in federal benefits that were never meant for her.
To keep the money flowing, Stone went a step further. Authorities say she used the deceased’s Social Security number to activate a new debit card and continued withdrawing money from Victim 1’s account. When the original card expired, she simply applied for a replacement—as if Victim 1 were still alive.
All the while, Victim 1’s remains sat in the basement of the same Rochester residence where they had died. According to investigators, Stone placed the corpse in a recycling bin, wrapped it in plastic, and periodically poured bleach over it, likely in an attempt to mask the smell and delay decomposition. The body remained undiscovered until September 2023, when the concealment came to light during the federal investigation.
Stone’s fraud extended beyond the SSI program. In February 2023, more than a month after the death, she submitted a recertification for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, falsely stating that Victim 1 still lived with her. That lie earned her an additional $1,072 in food benefits, prosecutors said.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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How a NY Woman Hid a Corpse for Months to Keep Collecting Government Benefits
Authorities say Stone wrapped the body in plastic and poured bleach over it to hide the death and steal nearly $9,000.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 20, 2025 8:00 am ET
ROCHESTER, NY — Wendy Stone didn’t report the death of her housemate. Instead, according to federal prosecutors, she wrapped the body in plastic, stashed it in a recycling bin in her basement, and poured bleach over it for months—just long enough to keep the government money coming.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. sentenced the 63-year-old Rochester woman to 12 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to unlawfully converting government funds. As the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York described it, Stone not only hid the death of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient she lived with—identified only as Victim 1—but also actively schemed to keep receiving that person’s monthly federal benefits.
Victim 1 died sometime around December 28, 2022. Prosecutors say Stone discovered the body days later.
She was well aware that Victim 1 collected SSI benefits, but rather than report the death, she took Victim 1’s debit card and started spending the funds herself. Over the next nine months, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Testani, Stone collected nearly $8,000 in federal benefits that were never meant for her.
To keep the money flowing, Stone went a step further. Authorities say she used the deceased’s Social Security number to activate a new debit card and continued withdrawing money from Victim 1’s account. When the original card expired, she simply applied for a replacement—as if Victim 1 were still alive.
All the while, Victim 1’s remains sat in the basement of the same Rochester residence where they had died. According to investigators, Stone placed the corpse in a recycling bin, wrapped it in plastic, and periodically poured bleach over it, likely in an attempt to mask the smell and delay decomposition. The body remained undiscovered until September 2023, when the concealment came to light during the federal investigation.
Stone’s fraud extended beyond the SSI program. In February 2023, more than a month after the death, she submitted a recertification for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, falsely stating that Victim 1 still lived with her. That lie earned her an additional $1,072 in food benefits, prosecutors said.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
How a NY Woman Hid a Corpse for Months to Keep Collecting Government Benefits
Authorities say Stone wrapped the body in plastic and poured bleach over it to hide the death and steal nearly $9,000.
By Jacob Charles
Published: July 20, 2025 8:00 am ET
ROCHESTER, NY — Wendy Stone didn’t report the death of her housemate. Instead, according to federal prosecutors, she wrapped the body in plastic, stashed it in a recycling bin in her basement, and poured bleach over it for months—just long enough to keep the government money coming.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. sentenced the 63-year-old Rochester woman to 12 months in prison after she pleaded guilty to unlawfully converting government funds. As the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York described it, Stone not only hid the death of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient she lived with—identified only as Victim 1—but also actively schemed to keep receiving that person’s monthly federal benefits.
Victim 1 died sometime around December 28, 2022. Prosecutors say Stone discovered the body days later.
She was well aware that Victim 1 collected SSI benefits, but rather than report the death, she took Victim 1’s debit card and started spending the funds herself. Over the next nine months, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Testani, Stone collected nearly $8,000 in federal benefits that were never meant for her.
To keep the money flowing, Stone went a step further. Authorities say she used the deceased’s Social Security number to activate a new debit card and continued withdrawing money from Victim 1’s account. When the original card expired, she simply applied for a replacement—as if Victim 1 were still alive.
All the while, Victim 1’s remains sat in the basement of the same Rochester residence where they had died. According to investigators, Stone placed the corpse in a recycling bin, wrapped it in plastic, and periodically poured bleach over it, likely in an attempt to mask the smell and delay decomposition. The body remained undiscovered until September 2023, when the concealment came to light during the federal investigation.
Stone’s fraud extended beyond the SSI program. In February 2023, more than a month after the death, she submitted a recertification for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, falsely stating that Victim 1 still lived with her. That lie earned her an additional $1,072 in food benefits, prosecutors said.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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