Woman sentenced to 18 months behind bars for welfare scam

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) -- A 43-year-old woman has been sentenced to serve 18 months in the Washington County Detention Center for her role in a welfare scam.

The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown  reports that Jennifer L. Cole was accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars in Medicaid and welfare benefits by lying about the number of children she claimed as dependents. She was also accused of not reporting her move to Pennsylvania to Maryland officials in 2012.

Cole was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count each of making a false application for public assistance and fraudulently obtaining Medicaid assistance by providing a false address.

Cole will have to pay more than $111,000 in restitution to the Maryland Department of Human Resources and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

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