A Lancaster County jury convicted an Ephrata woman Tuesday of welfare fraud for collecting cash assistance payments while working in 2011 and 2012.
The jury deliberated about an hour Tuesday morning before convicting 60-year-old Kay Louise Bryan of a misdemeanor count of fraud in obtaining assistance.
Assistant District Attorney Erik Neiman presented witnesses and argued that Bryan collected $1,775 in welfare payments for nearly a year while working at an area K-Mart. She knew she was required to report that work income, but didn’t, Neiman argued.
Immediately after the verdict, Lancaster County Judge Jeffery Wright sentenced Bryan to a year of unsupervised probation.
Bryan is required to pay back the funds.
Office of Inspector General Agent Richard Barr investigated, filed charges, and testified during the two-day trial that Bryan knew she was required to report any income, aside from the assistance payments.
Also, there was testimony that Bryan had received cash assistance in the past, when she also would have been informed of that requirement.
At sentencing after the conviction, Bryan told the judge she does everything she can to save state taxpayers money, even declining costly medical procedures, according to Neiman.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright