A Florida man pleaded guilty Monday to stealing nearly $80,000 in state pension payments electronically deposited in his dead father's checking account from work as a Nassau County employee, officials said.

Richard Gaines Jr., 55, of Daytona Beach, pleaded guilty to first-degree identity theft for swiping tens of thousands of dollars in pension funds sent to the account of his father, Richard Gaines Sr., who died Nov. 9, 2019, according to New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly.

Before he retired in 1996, the elder Gaines was "a dedicated public servant who rightfully earned his pension for nearly 30 years of service" as an employee of the Nassau County Bridge Authority, Donnelly said in a statement.

After retirement, he began collecting monthly state pension payments into an account to which his son did not have authorization, according to a news release from DiNapoli's office. These direct deposits were supposed to cease upon the father's death in 2019. Gaines did not report his father’s death to the New York State Local Retirement System until June 2022, according to the comptroller.

As deposits continued for about two and a half years, Gaines used his father’s debit card to steal $79,0845.59 in pension benefits, the comptroller said.

Gaines allegedly used about $2,484 of the stolen funds for transactions at Nassau County businesses, purchases at a BJ’s Wholesale store, a Stop & Shop and a Walmart, Newsday previously reported. Gaines also withdrew cash from ATMs in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and New York.

"Public employees work hard knowing that the benefits they earn will ease their retirement," Donnelly said in a statement. "This defendant, motivated by his own greed, tried to take advantage of this system."

On Nov. 22, Gaines surrendered to authorities and pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree grand larceny and first-degree identity theft, Newsday previously reported.

On Monday, Gaines pleaded guilty to first-degree identity theft before Judge Colin O’Donnell in Nassau County Court, according to DiNapoli’s office. He is being represented by the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County and is scheduled to return to court on July 17.