WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — A Williamsville woman has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $37,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
Thomasina Sardina, 47, pleaded guilty in Erie County Court to welfare fraud in the fifth degree, which is a Class A misdemeanor. Sardina was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and was ordered to pay back the full amount of $37,249.
The New York State inspector general said Friday afternoon that Sardina had under reported her income and submitted forged paystubs.
The inspector general said this happened between February of 2012 and July of 2015, when she she "concealed her earnings as a patient service representative for a local health-care provider and submitted forged paystubs in support of applications for SNAP benefits."
The state says Sardina would not have qualified for SNAP benefits had she reported her income accurately.
"This individual deliberately hid her income in order to illegally capitalize on SNAP benefits," Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro said in a statement. "Thankfully, her fraud was discovered, and she is paying full restitution."
