Semiha Nilgun Gencsoy, 71, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been sentenced to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $328,478.38 in restitution after admitting to possession of stolen money connected to West Virginia public employee pension funds. According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, Gencsoy received pension benefits over a 15-year period that she was not entitled to.
Gencsoy’s father was a mechanical engineering professor at West Virginia University who began receiving state pension benefits upon his retirement in June 1985. After his death in June 2007, survivor benefits were paid by the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (WVCPRB) to his widow—Gencsoy’s mother—through direct deposit into a joint bank account shared with Gencsoy.
When her mother died in April 2008, Gencsoy became the administrator of her estate. As part of her guilty plea, she admitted knowing that her father’s pension benefits should have ended with her mother’s death. She also acknowledged failing to notify the WVCPRB about her mother’s passing or close their joint bank account. Additionally, she did not disclose the continued pension payments during probate proceedings.
From May 2008 through June 2023, more than 180 monthly survivor’s benefit payments totaling $328,478.38 were deposited into the joint account via direct deposit. Gencsoy routinely transferred these funds into an account under her sole control and used them for personal expenses.
“Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (WVCPRB) and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).”
The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia website. Related court documents can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-75.
