A total of 66 people in Pennsylvania were charged with committing welfare fraud in June, owing more than $206,600 according to the state Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
The OIG says the restitution owed in these cases totals $206,651.38 and additional cost savings will be realized, as the defendants will be temporarily disqualified from receiving public benefits.
Of the 66 criminal cases of fraudulently receiving public assistance, 21 were graded as third-degree felonies. If convicted, the suspects could face up to seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000, plus a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they defrauded.
Another 45 cases were graded as first or second degree felonies, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $10,000, plus a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they defrauded.
The majority of the cases involved defrauding the supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps.
For a complete breakdown on the cases from the Pennsylvania OIG, click here.
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