Son admits taking dad's retirement pay

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ATLANTA, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- An Atlanta man admitted collecting more than $53,000 of his father's retirement pay after the former school principal died.

Eugene Wimbly Jr. was sentenced to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts of theft by taking, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday.

Prosecutors said Wimbly collected $53,525.95 in payments from the Teachers' Retirement System of Georgia following the September 2008 death of his father, Eugene Wimbly Sr., who had been collecting the retirement payments since 1982 and had given control of his checking account to his son during his final year of life.

The judge gave Wimbly credit for 120 days served and ordered him to serve the balance on probation. He was also ordered to pay $49,829.13 restitution to the retirement system, which prosecutors said he has already paid.