HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) – Charges have been filed against 90 people for public assistance fraud in Pennsylvania.
The fraud allegedly reached more than $700,000 for crimes including falsifying records for SNAP, cash assistance, or subsidized day care – restitution that is now owed to the state.
The charges allege that individuals either sold their public benefits to others or misrepresented their household situation and fraudulently received taxpayer-funded public assistance, according to the Office of State Inspector General.
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Authorities report the fraud occurred during April and May 2024, with 85 of the suspects charged with felonies, and 5 charged with misdemeanors.
If convicted, the maximum penalty defendants face is seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000. Depending on the public assistance fraud case, defendants may also be disqualified from the defrauded benefits program, which are administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.