HARRISBURG – A Blair County woman faces felony welfare fraud charges for allegedly collecting more than $4,700 in cash assistance and food stamps between January 2005 and September 2006 that she was not entitled to receive, the Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General said.
Heather Jo Koelle, 33, of Altoona, allegedly failed to report that she no longer had custody of her son and that he was not living in her house. Disclosure of this information would have affected her eligibility for public assistance benefits.
“If citizens honestly deserve benefits, then they should receive them,” Inspector General Don Patterson said. “Yet, with each dollar provided, Pennsylvanians demand integrity and accountability for that dollar’s dedicated purpose. This criminal filing by the Office of Inspector General clearly shows that Pennsylvania is demanding that accountability.”
Koelle’s preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Jeffrey Auker has not yet been scheduled.
The Office of Inspector General is responsible for investigating welfare fraud and conducting collection activities for programs administered by, or contracted through, the Department of Public Welfare. Each year, the OIG works with county assistance offices statewide to identify suspected cases of public assistance fraud, and with local district attorneys to bring the cases to prosecution.
Recipients who are found guilty of welfare fraud may face a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, fines up to $15,000, mandatory restitution and program disqualification.
The Office of Inspector General also relies on tips from citizens. Inspector General Patterson urges anyone with information on suspected fraud to call the Welfare Fraud TipLine at 800-932-0582.