AUBURN — A judge Thursday ordered a Lewiston woman to undergo a competency evaluation, the same day she was due to be sentenced on welfare fraud charges. Amina Ege, 46, of 105 Shawmut St. appeared in Androscoggin County Superior Court with a Somali interpreter and her attorney, Adam Sherman, who motioned that his client be […]
welfare fraud
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Lewiston woman admits to welfare fraud
AUBURN — A Lewiston woman facing several felony counts of welfare fraud pleaded guilty Thursday to related charges. Chereese Ford, 36, of 55 Charles St. agreed to plead guilty in Androscoggin County Superior Court to two misdemeanors: theft by deception and unsworn falsification, each punishable by up to 364 days in jail. A second charge […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Welfare fraud allegations don't always lead to charges
Gov. Paul LePage’s administration said this week that it has uncovered more than $1 million in alleged theft and fraud this year by people who receive benefits like food stamps and the state’s Medicaid program. But many such theft allegations haven’t led to criminal charges. Attorney General Janet Mills, whose office handles fraud by groups […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
State appeals dismissal of welfare fraud charges against Lewiston man
AUBURN — Prosecutors are appealing to the state’s highest court a trial court order dismissing more than a dozen welfare fraud charges against a Lewiston man. Assistant Attorneys General Darcy Mitchell and Greg Bernstein filed notice Wednesday in Androscoggin County Superior Court that they intend to take their case to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
DHHS reports 174 welfare fraud convictions worth $1.7 million in 2016
AUGUSTA — Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration has amped up investigations of Maine’s welfare recipients, although the number of cases prosecuted remains essentially the same. The state Department of Health and Human Services said in a press release Thursday that it referred 174 criminal cases for prosecution last year and uncovered more than $1.7 million […]
Posted inLetters
A. Pelletier: Simply a ‘misstep’
Although I am not qualified to offer legal advice, I offer an observation to help folks here in Maine who are receiving TANF funds through their EBT cards. If you are caught abusing your benefits by using your card for anything but its intended purpose and now have to face a judge — good news: […]
Posted inLetters
R. Macdonald: A very real message sent
This is in response to Larry Gilbert’s letter “It was all rhetoric” (July 21). Although, on paper, Lewiston’s mayors have very limited power, in reality, they create an environment at City Hall that mirrors their political beliefs. It seems to me that Gilbert believes that city government exists to pander to the underclass, refugees and […]
Posted inLetters
L. Gilbert Sr.: It was all rhetoric
This is in response to a letter (July 17) from Daniel DiPietro who was critical of my comments in a Sun Journal article (July 6) in which I criticized Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald for his claims made at a news conference about Lewiston’s efforts to end welfare fraud. The press conference was a big show […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Sen. John Patrick: Repairing DHHS must become a priority
From the folks on the front lines working to help families recover from poverty, to the staunchest government watchdog, there is broad agreement that we cannot tolerate waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in our anti-poverty programs. Unfortunately, that broad agreement breaks down in the overheated rhetoric around poverty, welfare and how best to help families […]
Posted inLetters
J. McCabe: Get real with welfare reform
Welfare fraud is simply unacceptable. That’s why Democrats have pushed Republicans to step up and prosecute rather than politicize the issue. In his June 17 letter, Eric Brakey seems unaware of how these issues played out in the legislative session. Republicans pushed policies they knew were not enforceable or would push struggling families further into […]