Press Releases
01/25/2023
Three Connecticut Women Charged with Scamming More Than $35,000 from Public Assistance Programs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) – Three Connecticut women were recently arrested and charged, in unrelated incidents, with stealing a combined $35,126.76 from programs financed by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Cassandra George, age 34, of West Hartford, Raeann Gilbert, age 35, of Bloomfield and LaCoya Taylor, age 34, of East Hartford, were arrested by Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Chief State's Attorney on separate warrants. All three women were charged with Larceny in the First Degree in violation of Connecticut General Statutes §53a-122 and False Statement in the Second Degree in violation of Connecticut General Statutes §53a-157b.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Cassandra George, George received a total of $15,528.76 in benefits that she was not entitled to receive from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Care4Kids, which is a DSS childcare program. With respect to the SNAP benefits, George received $11,528 in benefits that she was not entitled to receive from January 2020 to November 2022. George is alleged to have failed to report a legally liable relative that she was residing with, along with the legally liable relative’s income, in order to receive SNAP benefits. Additionally, George submitted a Care4Kids application where she is alleged to have also failed to report the legally liable relative’s income and was granted Care4Kids benefits that she was not eligible to receive in the amount of $4,000.76. George was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court, G.A. No. 14, on February 2, 2023.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for Raeann Gilbert, Gilbert received $17,243 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive from January 2020 to December 2022. Gilbert is alleged to have failed to report a legally liable relative that she was residing with, along with the legally liable relative’s income, in order to receive SNAP benefits. Gilbert was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Hartford Superior Court, G.A. No. 14, on February 2, 2023.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit for LaCoya Taylor, Taylor received $2,355 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive from June 2022 to October 2022. Taylor is alleged to have failed to report income from her employment in order to receive SNAP benefits. Taylor was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court, G.A. No. 14, on January 26, 2023.
The charges in both matters are merely accusations and George, Gilbert, and Taylor are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services investigative division submitted the arrest warrant applications for George, Gilbert, and Taylor’s arrest. The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Susan Hatfield of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau.