Fraudsters are generally deceitful when pulling off a scam. (They will do whatever it takes to throw investigators off their trail.)In an article published by The Free Lance-Star, a woman was brazen in her attempt to gain $28,500 from her county’s Social Services department. She lied about her living arrangements and her income level when submitting her fake application for food stamp benefits.
In true fraudster fashion, the woman deceptively listed incorrect addresses and did not reveal that she was actually living with her husband and benefitting from his income, which would have made her ineligible to receive food stamp benefits in the first place. (She was so cocky that one of the addresses she listed actually belonged to a business.) Her false claims enabled her to receive food stamp benefits that she was not entitled to for approximately three-and-a-half years.
The 38-year-old woman pleaded guilty to welfare fraud. She received a five year prison sentence with all but one month suspended. (Lucky for her, eight additional charges were dropped.) The judge also ordered her to pay $28,567 in restitution plus $450 in court costs and other fees.
The article states that the prosecutor in this case claimed that it is common for people to claim public assistance even though they are not eligible for it. (Most are so conceited that they do not think they will be caught and punished for their illegal deeds.) Let’s hope that this fraudster has learned the lesson that the government can also be brazen in its attempt to stop unscrupulous individuals from stealing money from honest taxpayers.
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