Florida’s death row inmates received thousands of dollars from stimulus checks

Stimulus checks from the federal government that were meant to help struggling people ended up in the hands of prisoners.

WINK News found out a few inmates got their payday as well.

A couple of them are responsible for some of Southwest Florida’s most notorious crimes.

While people work to make ends meet due to grocery and gas prices rising. The need in Southwest Florida’s quite evident. With lines of cars at food giveaways.

There’s another group cashing in on the government. Death row inmates.

Of the 13 from Southwest Florida, 11 received economic impact and recovery rebate money from the federal government.

Including Mark Sievers and Mesac Damas.

Sievers sits on death row for orchestrating his wife’s murder seven years ago in their Bonita Springs home. Teresa Sievers died after being hit with a hammer 17 times.

And this was the scene in 2009 in North Naples. After Damas murdered his wife and five young children by cutting their throats.

Naples Senator Rick Scott tried to strip inmates of those checks last year.

“American taxpayers are on the hook for $1,400 checks to some of the most heinous criminals we’ve ever seen,” Scott said.

Scott said having all their needs food and medical expenses included, paid for by taxpayers, they do nothing to stimulate the economy.

“It simply doesn’t make sense,” Scott said.

Sievers received three economic impact payments. Two on April 17, 2021, and a third in October totaling $3,200, according to the Department of Corrections.

Damas got the same amount over the course of 10 months.

But neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden’s administrations excluded inmates from getting the checks.

The IRS tried to say no but got sued and lost.

“How can anyone possibly justify sending checks to these people? If we send $1,400 checks to all state and federal inmates, all 1.5 million, that’s more than $2 billion,” Scott said.

The Department of Corrections deducts fees the inmate may owe for liens, medical co-payments, legal copies, postage, and court fees.

Senator Marco Rubio wouldn’t comment on the topic.

Representative Byron Donalds said he also opposes inmates getting those checks.