Pennsylvania files welfare fraud charges against 73 recipients – By Stephen Huba (triblive.com) / Sept 14 2017
Seventy-three Pennsylvania residents were charged with various forms of welfare fraud in July, the Office of Inspector General said Wednesday.
Those charged allegedly claimed more state benefits than they qualified for by falsely reporting income or household members, the OIG said.
Collectively, the defendants will owe the state $281,672, if convicted. That includes $166,775 to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps; $84,269 for medical assistance; $19,173 for cash assistance; $10,290 for subsidized day care; and $1,163 for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program.
Additional cost savings will be realized as the defendants are temporarily disqualified from receiving public benefits in the programs they allegedly defrauded, the OIG said.
The OIG filed 35 felony cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance, including these for SNAP fraud:
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Lacie M. Hooks, 35, of New Kensington, for $10,530.
Kalee A. Richter, 27, of Hunker, for $3,341.
Donna J. Tacza, 64, of Mt. Pleasant, for $4,549.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Cecelia Collins, 51, of Coraopolis, for $3,284.
Jessica L. Filipovitz, 33, of Pittsburgh, for $4,626.
Nicola L. Gardner, 40, of McKeesport, for $3,716.
The OIG filed 21 misdemeanor cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance, including:
WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Britnie A. Irvin, 25, of Scottdale, for $1,980 in SNAP fraud and $1,410.50 in cash assistance fraud.
Christina C. Gaccetta, 24, of New Kensington, for $1,661 in SNAP fraud.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Alisha A. Watkins, 44, of Pitcairn, for $1,580 in cash assistance fraud.
The OIG filed 14 misdemeanor cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance, including:
ALLEGHENY COUNTY
Taisha J. Dreher, 32, of Clairton, for $1,447.75 in cash assistance fraud.
Terrance A. Roberson, 46, of McKees Rocks, for $1,164 in SNAP fraud.
Nickeya L. Gray, 34, of Wilmerding, for $1,212 in SNAP fraud.
PB/TK – And now people will scream “freakin’ liberal lazy @ss people…..” Theft is theft, fraud is fraud. Politics has nothing to do with it, because if so all those Doctors in New Jersey and Florida who were recently busted for stealing millions, well then I guess they were GOP’ers then, right?
