HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General announced it has filed felony public assistance fraud charges against 50 individuals last month.
The restitution owed to the Commonwealth in these cases totals $584,874, State Inspector General Lucas M. Miller said in a press release.
Additional cost savings will be realized as the defendants will be temporarily disqualified from receiving public benefits in the programs they allegedly defrauded, Miller added.
“The agents of the Office of State Inspector General relentlessly pursue integrity in Pennsylvania’s public benefits system,” said Miller. "Program integrity is key to preserving these programs within the Commonwealth, and it helps to ensure that funding is available for those who need it.”
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).
It is alleged that these individuals misrepresented their household circumstances and fraudulently received taxpayer-funded public benefits to which they were not entitled, according to Miller.
If convicted, the maximum penalty defendants face for public assistance fraud is seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000, Miller said.
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.
OSIG works in close coordination with DHS, which administers Pennsylvania’s public assistance programs, to investigate referrals made by DHS for potential fraud or abuse of programs.
Referrals come through concerns flagged through applications and questionable use of benefits observed by DHS or from tips made by the public. Anonymously report suspected welfare fraud on the OSIG website or call the Welfare Fraud Tipline: 1-800-932-0582.
