Women allegedly ran social services scam

Three Connecticut women were charged with scamming the state Department of Social Services out of more than $35,000, officials said.

Raeann Gilbert, 35, of Bloomfield, and 34-yearolds Cassandra George of West Hartford and Lacoya Taylor of East Hartford each collected funds from programs financed by the social services department such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Care4kids childcare that they were not eligible to receive, according to the Division of Criminal Justice.

The three women were arrested on separate warrants by inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney. They were each charged with first-degree larceny and second-degree giving a false statement, officials said.

Records show that between January 2020 and December 2022, Gilbert received $17,243 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive after she failed to report the income of a “legally liable relative” that she was living with, officials said.

George is also charged with allegedly failing to report that she was living with a relative and not reporting their income. She received a total of $11,528 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive, along with another $4,000.76 from the Care4kids program between January 2020 and November 2022, officials said.

Taylor allegedly received $2,355 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive from June 2022 to October 2022 after failing to report income from her employer, officials said.

Gilbert and George were both released on $10,000 bonds and were scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court G.A. 14 on Feb. 2, officials said.

Taylor was released on a promise to appear and is set to appear in Manchester Superior Court G.A. 14 on Thursday, officials said.