State charges 63 with Welfare fraud

HARRISBURG » The Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General has filed welfare fraud charges against 63 individuals, claiming they owe the state $252,435 in restitution.

The charges against the 63 stem from investigations concluded over a 31-day period in August. Among the defendants are four residents of Berks County, three residents of Chester County and a Montgomery County resident.

Additional cost savings will be realized as the defendants will be temporarily disqualified from receiving public benefits in the programs they defrauded, according to the inspector general’s office.

For August 2017, the restitution totals by benefits program amounted to: $131,461.32 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); $88,765.64 for medical assistance; $31,536.87 for cash assistance and $671.75 for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and other programs.

“August’s cases include a combination of $39,701.28 in SNAP and medical assistance fraud in Lawrence County, and unlawful use of another’s SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card in Dauphin County,” Inspector General Bruce R. Beemer said. “Act 29, which went into effect on September 18, will give our investigators additional tools to investigate and prosecute welfare fraud cases in the future.”

The Office of Inspector General filed 24 criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance in Pennsylvania that were graded as a felony of the third degree. The defendants are:

• Shanell Sewell, 31, of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, for $753 in SNAP fraud and $5,059.65 in cash assistance fraud.

• Vanessa Maria-Felix, 32, of Reading in Berks County, for $2,964 in SNAP fraud and $905.89 in cash assistance fraud.

• Jibran G. Najm, 49, of Allentown in Lehigh County, for $1,556 in SNAP fraud and $5,360.50 in cash assistance fraud.

• Heather M. Ayers, 42, of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, for $5,433.86 in cash assistance fraud.

• Asia Moore, 21, of Philadelphia, for $1,942 in SNAP fraud and $3,695.43 in cash assistance fraud.

• Tammee S. Shaftic, 52, of New Castle in Lawrence County, for $7,190.75 in SNAP fraud and $32,510.53 in medical assistance fraud.

• Melissa A. Domhoff, 32, of New Castle in Lawrence County, for $7,412 in SNAP fraud, $5,582.80 in medical assistance fraud and $351 in LIHEAP fraud.

• Alicia J. Graham, 33, of New Castle in Lawrence County, for $3,481 in SNAP fraud.

• Margaret C. Lightner, 50, and Justin D. Lightner, 30, of Chambersburg in Franklin County, for $7,354 in SNAP fraud and $4,559.59 in medical assistance fraud.

• Chamika S. Wright, 42, of Philadelphia, for $6,569 in SNAP fraud.

• Brittany M. Carbaugh, 27, of Gettysburg in Adams County, for $9,136 in SNAP fraud and $217.06 in medical assistance fraud.

• Callie J. Grizzard, 39, of Butler in Butler County, for $808 in SNAP fraud and $5,565.28 in medical assistance fraud.

• Alyssa M. Mannino, 27, of Hershey in Dauphin County, for $6,376 in SNAP fraud.

• Julianna M. Marsh, 33, of Somerset in Somerset County, for $7,638 in SNAP fraud and $1,406.07 in medical assistance fraud.

• Tracey L. Polk, 36, of Sharpsville in Mercer County, for $3,622 in SNAP fraud.

• Courtney M. Blackwell, 29, of East Stroudsburg in Monroe County, for $1,520 in SNAP fraud and $2,032.44 in medical assistance fraud.

• Wanea V. MoreiraDiaz, 44, of Reading in Berks County, for $2,044 in SNAP fraud and $3,732.35 in medical assistance fraud.

• Patrick Lucas, 44, of Verona in Allegheny County, for $2,253 in SNAP fraud and $8,949.68 in medical assistance fraud.

• Charles W. Pavel, 46, of Spring City in Chester County, for $930 in SNAP fraud and $7,025 in medical assistance fraud.

• Jada K. Temple, 36, of Apollo in Armstrong County, for $5,112 in SNAP fraud.

• Rahsean R. Bridges, 30, of Farrell in Mercer County, for $3,669.08 in medical assistance fraud.

• Joshua S. Kendall, 26, of Six Mile Run in Bedford County, for $4,411.46 in medical assistance fraud.

• Richard D. Weeter, Jr., 30, of Avonmore in Armstrong County, for $3,278.26 in medical assistance fraud.

If convicted, the maximum penalty they face is seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000, plus a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they defrauded.

The Office of Inspector General filed 20 criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance in Pennsylvania that were graded as a misdemeanor of the first degree. The defendants are:

• Yolanda Castaneda, 46, of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, for $1,834 in SNAP fraud and $1,833.40 in cash assistance fraud.

• Marissa Calderon, 42, of Reading in Berks County, for $803 in SNAP fraud and $1,573.50 in cash assistance fraud.

• Maria F. Henriquez, 23, of Hazleton in Luzerne County, for $2,762.20 in cash assistance fraud.

• Candida J. Collado, 42, of Lemoyne in Cumberland County, for $1,308 in SNAP fraud and $2,494.44 in medical assistance fraud.

• Natalie J. Shadle, 42, of West Springfield in Erie County, for $2,814 in SNAP fraud.

• Meagan M. Nolan, 29, of Latrobe in Westmoreland County, for $1,533 in

SNAP fraud.

• Sandra G. Younkin, 46, of Ashville in Cambria County, for $1,552 in SNAP fraud.

• Norman R. Munnal, Jr., 62, of Sharon in Mercer County, for $905 in SNAP fraud and $1,112.60 in medical assistance fraud.

• Brian C. Rohrbaugh, 44, of Hanover in York County, for $1,519 in SNAP fraud.

• Glorimar Gomez, 30, of Reading in Berks County, for $1,813 in SNAP fraud.

• Delphine A. Diaz, 48, of Philadelphia, for $2,270 in SNAP fraud.

• Kimberly A. Schrack, 43, of Tobyhanna in Monroe County, for $1,926 in SNAP fraud.

• Jillian Chauvin, 27, of Coatesville in Chester County, for $2,822 in SNAP fraud.

• Tireen L. Gluvna, 31, of Uniontown in Fayette County, for $2,875 in SNAP fraud.

• Amber N. Walck, 33, of Bethlehem in Northampton County, for $2,200 in SNAP fraud.

• Chelsey M. Wilson, 21, of Carmichaels in Greene County, for $2,172 in SNAP fraud.

• Amy L. Landman, 47, of Mount Pleasant in Westmoreland County, for $2,578 in SNAP fraud.

• Tina M. Miller, 36, of Ellwood City in Beaver County, for $2,536 in SNAP fraud.

• Christopher Crawford, 34, of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, for unlawfully using another’s EBT card.

• Kareema L. Uqdah, 32, of Philadelphia, for

$1,318 in SNAP fraud and $2,733.50 in cash assistance fraud.

If convicted, the maximum penalty they face is five years in prison and a fine of $10,000, plus a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they defrauded.

The Office of Inspector General filed 14 criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance in Pennsylvania that were graded as a misdemeanor of the second degree. The defendants are:

• Ashley S. Long, 26, of Steelton in Dauphin County, for $844 in SNAP fraud and $1,057 in cash assistance fraud.

• Nicole S. Coleman, 42, of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, for $1,110 in SNAP fraud and $710.30 in cash assistance fraud.

• Marisol Medina, 30, of Harrisburg in Dauphin

County, for $1,389 in SNAP fraud and $1,148.14 in cash assistance fraud.

• Karen R. Higgins, 30, and Mark S. Higgins, Jr., 32, of Meadville in Crawford County, for $1,489 in cash assistance fraud.

• Lizbeth DeLeon-Piedra, 43, of Allentown in Lehigh County, for $1,068 in cash assistance fraud.

• William H. Hallman, 29, of Allentown in Lehigh County, for $1,164 in SNAP fraud.

• Chelsea R. Lee, 24, of Altoona in Blair County, for $1,209 in SNAP fraud.

• Erica J. Hornbaker, 37, of McConnellsburg in Fulton County, for $1,272 in SNAP fraud.

• Timothy L. McMichael, 48, of Lancaster in Lancaster County, for $1,095 in SNAP fraud.

• Michael Williams, 66, of Elverson in Chester County, for $1,068 in SNAP fraud.

• Patricia D. Davis, 44, of Uniontown in Fayette County, for $1,146 in SNAP fraud.

• Leahia L. Antill, 25, of Titusville in Crawford County, for $1,352 in SNAP fraud.

• Mary B. Helman, 55, of Sykesville in Jefferson County, for $1,259.90 in medical assistance fraud.

If convicted, the maximum penalty they face is two years in prison and a fine of $5,000, plus a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they defrauded.

The Inspector General filed five criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance in Pennsylvania that were graded as a misdemeanor of the third degree. The defendants are:

• Christina J. Pennington, 42, of Plymouth Meeting in Montgomery County, for $511 in SNAP fraud and $842 in cash assistance

fraud.

• Jamisha K. Dooley, 28, of Connellsville in Fayette County, for $589 in SNAP fraud.

• Donald E. Russell, 43, of Fishertown in Bedford County, for $762 in SNAP fraud.

• Beverly S. Jessup, 39, of Brockway in Jefferson County, for $503 in SNAP fraud.

• Tyler R. Younkins, 32, of Freeport in Armstrong County, for $959.10 in medical assistance fraud.

If convicted, the maximum penalty they face is one year in prison and a fine of $2,500, plus a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they defrauded.

To report suspected fraud please call the Welfare Fraud Tipline at 1-800932-0582 or visit the OIG website at www.oig.pa.gov. Tipsters may remain anonymous.