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    State Inspector General Charges 590 with Over $3.3 Million in Restitution in 2023

    February 20, 2024

    Harrisburg, PA - The Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) filed public assistance fraud charges against 590 individuals during the 2023 calendar year. The restitution owed to the Commonwealth in these cases totals $3,378,770. Additional cost savings will be realized as the defendants will be temporarily disqualified from receiving public benefits in the programs they allegedly defrauded.

    "In 2023, OSIG took decisive action, filing charges against nearly 600 individuals engaged in public assistance fraud and saving the Commonwealth millions of dollars. As we close 2023, OSIG remains committed to preserving the integrity of our public benefits programs and the trust that taxpayers put in the Commonwealth,” said State Inspector General Lucas M. Miller. “We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute fraud, safeguarding resources for those who genuinely depend on public assistance."

    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). 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.

    During 2023, OSIG filed felony charges of fraudulently receiving public assistance against a total of 566 individuals and misdemeanor charges against 24 separate individuals. In December alone, OSIG filed felony charges against 35 individuals, with total restitution owed of $133,411. It is alleged that these individuals misrepresented their household circumstances and fraudulently received taxpayer-funded public benefits to which they were not entitled.

    If convicted, the maximum penalty defendants face for public assistance fraud is seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000. 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.

    All persons charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

    MEDIA CONTACT: Jonathan P Hendrickson - 7172658396

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