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    State Inspector General and Fayette County District Attorney Announce Fraud Charges against Uniontown City Council Member

    Under the Shapiro Administration, OSIG has investigated more than 70,000 applications for public assistance and prevented over $215 million in fraud.

    November 13, 2026

    Harrisburg, PA – The Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) and Fayette County District Attorney’s Office announced charges today against Uniontown City Council Member Trace Thomas, 34, who allegedly collected $6,705 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits by failing to report more than $166,000 in wages from his job with Senior LIFE, a care provider for older adults in Fayette County.

    Thomas was charged with a third-degree felony for allegedly making false statements in order to obtain benefits. Thomas earned $166,637.61 in gross wages from Senior LIFE between November 9, 2023 and September 30, 2025, but repeatedly told the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) he had no income. As a result, Thomas received $5,705 in SNAP benefits from February 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025 and $1,000 in LIHEAP benefits from November 1, 2024 through April 4, 2025 that he was not eligible to receive. Thomas took office on Uniontown City Council in January 2024 and according to Uniontown City’s website, oversees the city’s Streets and Improvements department.

    “This case shows our commitment to rooting out public benefits fraud wherever we find it,” said State Inspector General Michelle A. Henry. “Trace Thomas holds a position of public trust as a member of Uniontown City Council, yet he is charged with knowingly misleading the Commonwealth again and again to collect benefits meant for Pennsylvanians in need. No one is above the law. I am grateful to the Fayette County District Attorney’s Office for their work with this investigation.”

    These charges represent the latest actions the Shapiro Administration has taken to fight public assistance fraud, root out waste and abuse, and make sure taxpayer money is used for its intended purpose across the Commonwealth. Since the beginning of the Shapiro Administration, OSIG has investigated more than 70,000 applications for public assistance and prevented over $215 million in fraud. In 2025 alone, after investigating nearly 20,000 applications, it saved taxpayers over $61 million. This work stops fraud from happening before payments are distributed to people who don’t qualify for them.

    “Public assistance programs exist so Pennsylvanians can bridge the gap and make ends meet,” said Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele. “Mr. Thomas abused this system, and together with OSIG, we were able to stop this abuse from continuing and protect the integrity of these important programs.”

    OSIG and PA DHS work together to protect the integrity of Pennsylvania’s public benefits programs. PA DHS caseworkers in local County Assistance Offices, who determine eligibility for public assistance, referred this case to OSIG.

    All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The investigation is ongoing.

    Anonymously report suspected assistance fraud on the OSIG website or call the Tipline: 1-800-932-0582.

     

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