Officials charge 127 with welfare fraud
Pennsylvania has filed welfare fraud charges against 127 individuals who allegedly stole $530K over 2 months.
HARRISBURG » The Office of State Inspector General has filed welfare fraud charges against 127 individuals who allegedly defrauded the state of nearly $530,000 over a two-month period.
In addition to collecting $529,962 in restitution, 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.
The 127 fraud cases took place between between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31.
Restitution totals by benefits program amounted to: $311,830 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); $77,871.81 for subsidized day care; $112,595.15 for medical assistance; $24,094.19 for cash assistance; and $3,571.31 for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
“Every dollar of fraud we can prevent makes a difference,” said State Inspector General Bruce R. Beemer. “I am confident that with the new investigative and enforcement tools made available to the Office by the Governor and the General Assembly that we can save the taxpayers of the Commonwealth even more. We have been busy training and equipping our personnel to make the best use of those tools. But the business of the Office has not stopped and I am proud of the diligent and difficult work done by our investigators to ensure our public benefits are not diverted from those in need.”
The Inspector General’s Office filed 52 criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance in Pennsylvania that were graded as a felony of the third degree. Among those defendants charged are the following from Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties:
• Frederick S. Saylor, 40, of Reading in Berks County, for $2,716 in SNAP fraud and $5,847.55 in medical assistance fraud.
• Jose L. Rodriguez, Jr., 28, of Reading in Berks County, for $3,457 in SNAP fraud.
• Lynette M. Wynne, 36, of Lafayette Hill in Montgomery County, for $3,295.22 in SNAP fraud.
• James G. Caldwell, 44, of Philadelphia in Chester County, for $6,799 in SNAP fraud and $783 in LIHEAP fraud.
• Victoria Bandel, 44, of Norristown in Montgomery County, for $5,298 in SNAP fraud.
• Donnell Casey, 36, of Cheltenham in Montgomery County, for $4,629 in SNAP fraud.
• Vincent P. Amoroso, 52, of Oxford in Chester County, for $3,712 in SNAP 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 OSIG filed 49 criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance in Pennsylvania that were graded as a misdemeanor of the first degree. Among those defendants charged are the following from Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties:
• Michelle L. Rickard, 31, of King of Prussia in Montgomery County, for $2,280 in SNAP fraud.
• Atiyyah A. Darden, 27, of Norristown in Montgomery County, for $2,232 in SNAP fraud.
• Kristin M. Remmel, 37, of Oley in Berks County, for $1,785 in SNAP fraud.
• Alyce N. Storer, 35, of Norristown in Montgomery County, for $2,920 in SNAP fraud.
• Kia L. Katerman, 32, of Reading in Berks County, for $2,783 in SNAP fraud.
• Christina I. Harrington, 33, of Willow Grove in Montgomery County, for $2,497.88 in SNAP 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 Inspector General’s Office filed 21 criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance in Pennsylvania that were graded as a misdemeanor of the second degree. Among those defendants charged are the following from Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties:
• Samuel D. BenitezDominguez, 49, of Reading in Berks County, for $1,248 in SNAP fraud.
• Jose R. Narvaez-Arroyo, 36, of Reading in Berks County, for $1,164 in SNAP fraud.
• Everett T. Miller, 44, of Reading in Berks County, for $1,456 in SNAP fraud.
• Orlando Delgado, 28, of Lansdale in Montgomery County, for $1,298 in SNAP 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.