CATTARAUGUS COUNTY, N.Y. (RELEASE) - In conjunction with the Department of Social Services and the District Attorney's office, the Sheriff's Office charged seven people with welfare fraud.

The collective total of these crimes is $54,933.27. The investigations led to the arrest of seven people on 32 felonies and two misdemeanors as well as 11 individuals being disqualified from future cash and food stamp benefits.

The following were arrested and charged:
+Brandie Buchanan, 29-years-old, received $41,007.07 in food stamps and cash. Arrested for not reporting long term disability payments she was receiving from September 2003 to May 2008.
+Stacy Nichols, 30-years-old, received $3,718.20 in food stamps. Arrested for not reporting Pennsylvania Unemployment from September 2009 to March 2010.
+Renee Preston, 39-years-old, received $1,460 in food stamps. Arrested for not reporting that she was disqualified from benefits in Allegany County from October 2008 to January 2010.
+Pamela Robinson, 46-years-old, does not owe any money, but failed to report that she owned her own business in Jamestown from June 2007 to March 2010.
+Martha Gomez, 43-years-old, received $2,012 in food stamps. Arrested for not reporting her job from March 2007 to January 2008.
+Amy Houghtaling, 39-years-old, does not owe any money, but failed to report her boyfriend in the household from November 2008 to March 2009.
+Gary C. Stanton, 38-years-old, received $4,736 in food stamps. Arrested for failing to report his workman's compensation from July 2003 to September 2009.

Ron Artest and Sister Accused of Welfare Fraud



Ron Artest has been enjoying the good life since joining the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s hanging out at the beach and BBQ’n with Twitter followers and showing up for Jimmy Kimmel Live in his boxers. Things might be about to get ugly for Artest.

Ron and his sister Latoya Holmes-Ivey are being investigated for welfare fraud. Authorities raided the Indianapolis area home of Holmes-Ivey and her three children on Wednesday. Artest is yet to comment.

From 6News in Indianapolis:

Holmes-Ivey was receiving taxpayer-supported rent assistance because she claimed she had no income, but investigators said she may have been getting money from her brother.

The tip came from a former CPA at Tennessee-based TriStar Sports and Entertainment, the company that represents Artest, who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Housing authorities said that if the allegations are true, Holmes-Ivey would have used at least $34,000 in taxpayer money she was not entitled to.

It’s possible that Ron was breaking his sister off and then she was doing her own thing on the side. But since somebody that worked for Ron knew what was up it’s also possible (Very likely) that Ron knew full well what she was doing and didn’t give a damn because he’s gully like that.

Authorities target nearly 70 following 18-month welfare fraud probe

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Authorities say that nearly 70 Palm Beach County residents committed welfare fraud by forging purchases and turning them into cash with the aid of a Belle Glade convenience store.

The 18-month investigation, dubbed "Operation Easy Money", culminated on Thursday with the arrests of at least 48 people.

Another 21 are in the process of being arrested, totalling 69 people that the multi-agency operation targeted, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

All of those targeted are public assistance recipients, the FDLE says. They're accused of illegally obtaining more than $300,000 in cash, during a three-year period, from government-issued Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT, cards that were supposed to be used to buy food.

"There's a percentage of folks that are going to abuse the system," said Amos Rojas Jr., special agent in charge of the FDLE. "This (investigation) is a good example of what we need to continue to do. We just need to stay on top of this game."

"The amount of benefits each food stamp recipient trafficked ranged from $2,000 to more than $14,000," Rojas said.

Rojas said that the recipients treated the benefits cards like a "personal bank account." The money retrieved would be split in half, between the store owner and food stamps recipient.

"The amount of benefits each food stamp recipient trafficked ranged from $2,000 to more than $14,000," Rojas said.

"Operation Easy Money" came out of a 2009 probe dubbed "Operation Money for Nothing," where investigators discovered that the operators of Billy's Market in Belle Glade aided in fraud by allowing the public assistance recipients to use their benefits to receive cash.

Rojas said the recipients would treat the benefits card like a "personal bank account." And the money would be split 50-50 between the store owner and food stamps recipient.

After the Billy's Market owners were arrested in April 2009, investigators turned their attention to the recipients. Though investigators discovered more than 400 people involved, those targeted were what Rojas called "prominent EBT violators."

According to FDLE, 68 are from Palm Beach County, and one is from Tampa. The latter was charged with defrauding the housing assistance and subsidized child day-care programs by failing to disclose employment, Rojas said.

Joining the FDLE in the food stamp probe was the Palm Beach County Sheriff's and State Attorney's offices, among others.

Perry Borman, regional director of the state Department of Children and Families, said the amount of food stamp money provided in Palm Beach County has increased 46 percent in the past year and currently totals $20 million.

"The misuse of the food stamp program really represents a violation of the public trust," Borman said. "Actions like these put a stain on what we're doing."

More than 81,000 households in the county receive assistance and the average household benefit is $255 per month, Borman said.

There's a percentage of folks that are going to abuse the system," said Amos Rojas Jr., special agent in charge of the FDLE. "This (investigation) is a good example of what we need to continue to do. We just need to stay on top of this game

OMG they're UGLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhh. I love seeing the usual posts by the typical uninformed Republican who just parrot whatever Hannity, O'Reilly, or that gas bag Limbaugh say