Press Releases
12/05/2022
Two Manchester Women Charged with Scamming Public Assistance Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) – Two Manchester women were recently arrested and charged, in unrelated incidents, with stealing a combined $26,616 from a program financed by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Amy Figueroa, age 30, and Tarina Martin, age 32, were arrested by Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Chief State's Attorney's Office on separate warrants charging both women with Larceny in the First Degree in violation of Connecticut General Statutes §53a-122.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Figueroa received $21,691 in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that she was not entitled to receive from December 2017 to February 2020 because she intentionally underreported her household income in order to meet the SNAP gross income limit. Figueroa is accused of failing to report a relative living in her home, and failing to report his income. Figueroa and her relative are both employed by the State of Connecticut. Figueroa was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court, G.A. No. 12, on December 13, 2022.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, Martin received $4,925 in SNAP benefits that she was not entitled to receive from September 2020 to February 2021 because she intentionally failed to report her earned income on her Periodic Report Form in order to meet the SNAP gross income limit. Martin was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court, G.A. No. 12, on December 13, 2022.
The charges in both matters are merely accusations and Figueroa and Martin 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 the arrests of both Martin and Figueroa. The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Susan Hatfield of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau.