HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General announced this week that it charged 90 people with public assistance fraud in April and May.
The restitution owed to the Commonwealth in the cases totals $716,496, OSIG said.
“Upholding the integrity of our public assistance programs is essential for maintaining public confidence, and OSIG is dedicated to ensuring these resources are protected and used as intended,” said State Inspector General Lucas M. Miller. “Our team’s diligent efforts are crucial in identifying and prosecuting those who seek to defraud these vital services."
OSIG investigates and prosecutes public assistance fraud and conducts collection activities for the public benefits programs administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS).
"Pennsylvania’s public assistance programs are a lifeline for people in difficult situations, and DHS works diligently to ensure the benefits we administer get to the Pennsylvanians who need them," said DHS Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. "We take fraud prevention seriously; DHS reports instances of benefits fraud to the Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) for investigation, and our strong partnership with OSIG is integral to maintaining the responsible stewardship of these essential programs.”
During April and May of this year, OSIG filed felony charges of defrauding the public assistance system against a total of 85 individuals and misdemeanor charges against five separate individuals.
It is alleged that these individuals either trafficked their public assistance or misrepresented their household circumstances and fraudulently received taxpayer-funded public benefits to which they were not entitled, OSIG said.
If convicted, the maximum penalty defendants face for public assistance fraud is seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000.
In the case of SNAP, Cash Assistance, or Subsidized Day Care fraud, defendants also face a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program they allegedly defrauded.
