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The Heat is On

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The heat is on when it comes to tracking down and prosecuting fraudsters who attempt to illegally gain benefits they don’t deserve. A story posted on 13NewsNow.com tells about a man who received more than $2,000 in benefits from three different government subsidized programs.

The article states that the man received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds after declaring that his income was only $100 per week. He also received Medicaid funds as his grandfather’s caretaker. Lastly, he applied for and received payment for fuel assistance. (Virginia’s Energy Assistance program helps eligible people with a low-income cover expenses associated with heating or cooling their home.)

After a worker who determines welfare eligibility became suspicious of the man’s actual income and contacted the commonwealth’s Social Services department, an investigation revealed that he received $2,206.48 in government benefits that he did not deserve. (This guy didn’t think about the cold and hungry victims he left behind.)

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to welfare fraud. His defense attorney requested that he remain free on bond so that he could earn money to pay restitution to the programs from which he stole funds. (Because the man declared that his income was variable due to his profession as a barber, the judge agreed to let him remain on bond.)

This case serves as a deterrent for those unscrupulous individuals who are considering stealing from others to enrich their own lives through government benefits they do not qualify for or deserve. (No amount of money taken for fraudulent purposes is too small for the government to pursue because when the money pot runs out, there is no more financial assistance available. Every little bit counts when someone is in need.) It will be up to the judge to determine if this man should be deprived as he has deprived others.

The post The Heat is On appeared first on Fraud of the Day.


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