Welfare Fraud Scandal: Delaware County Woman Caught in the Act
Kellie Sanderson, a 45-year-old resident of Delhi, New York, has pleaded guilty to Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony, according to Delaware County District Attorney Shawn J. Smith.
Between January 1, 2021, and February 27, 2022, Sanderson submitted multiple false applications to the Department of Social Services, intentionally failing to disclose her income. By withholding her true income information, she fraudulently received a total of $9,219.00 in public assistance benefits.
The case came to the attention of Investigator Richard Gerace of the Department of Social Services during an investigation into potential elder abuse involving another individual. This individual, whose identity is being withheld, reported giving large sums of money to Sanderson. Upon reviewing Sanderson's applications, Investigator Gerace discovered that she had never disclosed these gifts to the Department of Social Services.
On October 26, 2023, Kellie Sanderson was indicted by the Delaware County Grand Jury on five counts. On January 2, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count of Welfare Fraud in the Third Degree, a Class D Felony, before the Honorable Judge John Hubbard. Final sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2024.
The plea agreement is the result of a negotiated disposition, and it is expected that Sanderson will receive five years of felony probation supervision, along with a restitution requirement.
District Attorney Smith commended the Department of Social Services for their work in this case. He specifically thanked Investigator Richard Gerace for his thorough investigation, which uncovered theft from Delaware County taxpayers. Smith emphasized that public assistance benefits are meant for those in genuine need and any abuse of the safety net program will be aggressively prosecuted.
It is important to note that Kellie Sanderson, like all individuals accused of a crime, is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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