• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Lottery winner collecting welfare charged with fraud

S

spidey07

No Lifer
Ouch. Two felonies. This story came out a while ago where the lottery winner went on TV and said she was collecting food stamps and welfare after winning 500k.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-04-17/lottery-winner-welfare-fraud/54342934/1

Each of the two charges of welfare fraud, failure to inform is punishable by up to four years in prison.

"It's simply common sense that million-dollar lottery winners forfeit their right to public assistance," Schuette said in a statement.

Clayton won the televised game Sept 12, 2011, and reportedly took home more than $500,000. She told WDIV-TV that she thought she was justified in continuing to collect the state payments after her windfall because she was now unemployed.

"I feel that it's OK because, I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay,' she said. 'I have two houses.' "
Click to expand...
 
Great job, Michigan - give her welfare that she doesn't deserve, and now pay more to incarcerate her. Brilliant.
 
sourceninja said:
No reason to send her to jail, finer her for money paid and stop paying her welfare.
Click to expand...

Au contraire. She was stealing from the taxpayers, and that should be punishable with jail time.

That said, if she has a clean record, she almost certainly won't get jail time.
 
Instead of sending her to jail, tally up what it would cost to keep her locked up, then fine her that. Add that to whatever other punitive damages they had planned. Win win for all - except for her dumbass, which would learn a very valuable lesson. Jail doesn't exactly teach lessons for everyone, and can make harder/smarter criminals in the end.

Sounds like a naive and retarded woman, and the punishment should be designed to fit the case. Jail isn't necessary - collecting moneys, however... well, Michigan could use it.
 
sixone said:
Au contraire. She was stealing from the taxpayers, and that should be punishable with jail time.

That said, if she has a clean record, she almost certainly won't get jail time.
Click to expand...

But then the taxpayers are paying even more for her which makes even less sense. I agree that she should have to repay, with interest all of the money she stole.
 
You can take the girl out of the white trailer trash park but you can't take the white trailer trash park out of the girl.
 
well they punished one side of the equation...how their agency didn't check...that is the part that boggles the mind.
 
Fraud is huge in welfare. Drug dealers are on on it, day cash laborers, prostitutes and anyone else with black market income streams. This is one reason why it needs a work requirement. If you have to show up someplace 40 hrs a week and you're making good money on the side, you won't and govt keeps it's money.
 
Zebo said:
Fraud is huge in welfare. Drug dealers are on on it, day cash laborers, prostitutes and anyone else with black market income streams. This is one reason why it needs a work requirement. If you have to show up someplace 40 hrs a week and you're making good money on the side, you won't and govt keeps it's money.
Click to expand...

Another reason why govt assistance of any form is a bad idea.
Fuck the poor.
 
Zebo said:
Fraud is huge in welfare. Drug dealers are on on it, day cash laborers, prostitutes and anyone else with black market income streams. This is one reason why it needs a work requirement. If you have to show up someplace 40 hrs a week and you're making good money on the side, you won't and govt keeps it's money.
Click to expand...

There IS a work requirement:

Under the requirements imposed in 1996, states are supposed to have half their welfare recipients working to avoid sanctions that eat into their welfare block grants, known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Welfare recipients have to work, do community service or take vocational education classes for 20 hours a week. They are also expected to be out of the house 10 more hours a week, in education, volunteer or community service programs.

Some states go above and beyond those minimums. The reason why it's not 100% of welfare recipients is that lots of them are disabled, looking but not employed, too young or too old, etc.

Now, welfare fraud IS a problem, and it should be prosecuted aggressively, but the problem is one of enforcement, not legislation. Those drug dealers on welfare--are they getting disability notes from their doctor? Fake timecards from a job? Someone signing off on classes that they don't attend? People "looking for work" without any actual evidence that they are sending out resumes and making calls? By all means, look into that and clamp down on the scammers.

But of course there is no political will to do so, since people who defraud the government go on to get elected to high-ranking positions. Looking at you, Rick Scott.
 
Drekce said:
But then the taxpayers are paying even more for her which makes even less sense. I agree that she should have to repay, with interest all of the money she stole.
Click to expand...

The court should require her to cover those costs, as well as reimbursing for the money she already took, plus interest.

After all, she has two houses. 🙄
 
The first rule of welfare fraud is do not talk about welfare fraud. Especially to the media. Good god. They really don't seem to do any enforcement checks but if you shout out to the whole planet that you're cheating them the government pretty much has to arrest you just to shut everyone up.
 
Actually in many places the uber wealthy can still collect assistance because they have no 'income'. Assets are ignored.

In fact this place the lady from specifically changed the welfare law based on another lottery winner.

She and her lawyer may not have known.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top