Public assistance fraud charges filed against 52 people in Pennsylvania

By WGAL Staff

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    HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — Pennsylvania’s Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) says it filed public assistance fraud charges against 52 people in January.

These individuals allegedly misrepresented themselves and fraudulently received taxpayer-funded public benefits they weren’t entitled to.

The restitution owed to the state in these cases is $349,835.

“We must protect the integrity of Pennsylvania’s public assistance programs, and that’s why OSIG is working to make sure only Pennsylvanians who qualify receive assistance,” State Inspector General Lucas M. Miller said in a news release. “I am proud of OSIG’s investigators who help ensure accountability with the Commonwealth’s public assistance programs.”

OSIG filed felony charges of fraudulently receiving public assistance against 49 people and misdemeanor charges against three others.

If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000.

In the case of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Cash Assistance, or Subsidized Day Care fraud, defendants also face a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they allegedly defrauded.

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