LIMA — Allen County Job and Family Services has had three completed cases and one pending case this year in the Allen County Common Pleas Court for people who used their office’s benefits illegally, and there’s more to come, according to Fraud and Investigations Supervisor Ally Garlock.
Recently, Tori Frueh, 39, of Lima, was put into the prosecutor’s diversion program in lieu of conviction and ordered to pay $12,524 to JFS for illegal use of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits or WIC program benefits, a third-degree felony.
Tina Shafer, 36, of Lima, was also put in diversion and ordered to pay $38,512 for the same third-degree felony charge along with Medicaid eligibility fraud, a fourth-degree felony, and a misdemeanor petty theft charge.
Kathryn Kimbrough, 64, of Lima, was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to pay $23,857 for a fifth-degree felony theft charge.
Latroya Scott, 40, of Lima, still has a pending case on the same third-degree felony charge mentioned above. Scott’s case has had three different attorneys representing her, which has caused a delay in the proceedings, and a pretrial has been set for Oct. 16.
Garlock said people claim the fraud was a misunderstanding, but they believe it was intentional in every case they pursue.
“In our cases, it is years worth of assistance that is owed back to the state,” Garlock said.
She said investigations at JFS usually comprise of unreported income and household composition.
“The main way people get caught for fraud is through our field investigations,” Garlock said. “We also have incredibly talented caseworkers who are looking at cases and sending over referrals for situations that seem off. Our investigators then dive deep into these cases to see what red flags may appear.”
Garlock encouraged the public to reach out if they suspect fraud by email at [email protected], by phone at 419-228-2120 or by submitting an anonymous referral at acjfs.org/report-fraud.
Garlock said the JFS office can handle fraud in two ways: through an internal process pursuing an intentional program violation or by sending the evidence to the prosecutor’s office to determine whether or not to bring charges. She expressed appreciation to Allen County Prosecutor Destiny Caldwell, as she has heard from other fraud supervisors that prosecutors won’t accept their cases.
One of the reasons it is important to distribute these benefits appropriately is because tax dollars fund the programs, Garlock said.
“Public Assistance Fraud is a crime that costs all of us,” Garlock said. “Fraud creates a negative perception of those who need the safety net of the programs that we administer.”
Reach Charlotte Caldwell at 567-242-0451.
