JEFFERSON COUNTY, Pa. (EYT) — A Jefferson County woman is facing a hearing Monday on felony charges after allegedly failing to report changes in income in order to continue to receive Medical Assistance benefits.
Court documents indicate 48-year-old Diana L. Snyder, of Brockway, is scheduled to stand for a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 23, on one third-degree felony charge of Fraud in Obtaining Food Stamps/Assistance.
According to a criminal complaint, an investigator for the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General received a referral form the Jefferson County Assistance Office (JCAO) regarding an unreported increase in income for Diana L. Snyder.
The JCAO had received an income match alerting them to an unreported increase in income for Snyder as a Medical Assistance (MA) recipient.
According to the complaint, a bank verification form verified deposits from withdrawals from her husband’s 401K account showed her income increased from February 2017 through July 31, 2018. The investigator obtained a certification of the deposits to her checking account to confirm the amounts were never reported by Snyder on her application for benefits dated February 2, 2017.
The complaint notes Snyder had an interview by phone with her caseworker who explained the need to report all changes to JCAO on her renewal application on January 28, 2018.
A referral was then made to the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General for fraud.
According to the complaint, Snyder was interviewed by the caseworker on January 28, 2018, and the Public Assistance Application Rights and Responsibilities statement was explained to her. She allegedly acknowledged she understood the rights and responsibilities to report changes by the tenth of the month following the month of any change to the Department of Human Services (DHS) and that all information reported is true and correct under penalty of law.
The complaint notes Snyder signed an affidavit to accurately report all facts and changes on April 29, 2010, on February 18, 2012, on January 31, 2016, on February 2, 2017, and on January 24, 2018. The rights and responsibilities were also reviewed with her by a caseworker who will testify that Snyder understood them. There are also bank records to verify the dates of deposits and certified MA transcripts to verify the amount of benefits received during the overpayment period.
According to the OIG investigation revealed that Snyder willfully failed to report the increase to the Department of Human Services, knowing it would negatively affect her eligibility for Medical Assistance benefits, to obtain MA benefits totaling $9,215.43.
The charges were filed through Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on Monday, December 16.
