FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Rocky Hill, CT) – A South Windsor woman was arrested today and charged with stealing nearly $30,000 from Care4Kids, a child care program financed by the Connecticut Department of Social Services.
Amanda Penamon, age 44, was arrested by Inspectors from the Statewide Prosecution Bureau of the Chief State's Attorney's Office on a warrant and 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, Penamon received $29,019.48 in benefits from the Care4Kids program that she was not entitled to receive from November 2021 to February 2023 because she intentionally failed to accurately report earned income that she had received. If she had reported that income, she would have been ineligible to receive Care4Kids benefits during this time period.Penamon was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court, G.A. No. 12, on June 2, 2023.
The charges are merely accusations and Penamon is 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 Penamon’s arrest. The cases are being prosecuted by Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Susan Hatfield of the Statewide Prosecution Bureau.
Since the last quarter of 2022, the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney has signed 49 arrest warrants seeking the arrest of individuals who have allegedly scammed Connecticut public assistance programs and are seeking to recover over $433,828.43 in restitution as alleged in those arrest warrants. So far in 2023, the Office of the Chief State’s Attorney has recovered $69,981 through up-front and court-ordered restitution.