AUBURN, Maine — Three people charged in a scheme aimed at defrauding welfare programs pleaded not guilty to related felonies Thursday.
The three defendants were released on their own recognizance with no conditions after the brief morning hearings.
Arraigned in Androscoggin County Superior Court were:
— Christopher S. Frazer, 43, of Auburn, indicted by an Androscoggin County grand jury on one count of unlawful trafficking in schedule W drugs, one count of felony theft by deception and three counts of misuse of identification.
— Katherine M. Pike, 40, of Waterford, charged with one count of theft by deception and one count of misuse of identification.
— David M. Stain, 46, of Lewiston, charged with two counts of theft by deception.
Two other men were indicted but have not been located. They are:
— Manny Souza, 20, of Lewiston, charged with one count of felony theft by deception, one count of misuse of identification and one count of unlawful trafficking in schedule Z drugs.
— Robert W. Baylor, 34, of Lewiston, charged with one count of felony theft by deception.
A day earlier, the Maine Attorney General’s Office filed charges against three others stemming from the same investigation.
That office filed misdemeanor complaints in 8th District Court in Lewiston against:
— Shanon Drummond on two charges of theft by deception and one charge of unsworn falsification.
— William Dunn on two charges of theft by deception.
— Duane Thomas on one charge of theft by deception.
Ages and addresses of the three latter defendants were not available.
All of the defendants named above are accused of playing parts in a welfare fraud ring by abusing EBT cards by buying or selling them or exchanging them for drugs, authorities said.
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Nothing to see here. Move along now. There is no fraud in the system. Pay up now!
Anyone who can walk to the welfare office can walk to work.
anyone who can get to the welfare office by wheelchair, can work to. disabled people can be lazy bums too
The fraudsters think it’s just fine. Honest people Don’t!
Save the funds for those that Truly need it.
Report Fraud in Maine
Allegations of fraud or attempted fraud involving funds, including Food Stamps,
administered by the Department of Health and Human Services should be sent to:
Fraud, Investigation and Recovery
11 State House Station
Whitten Road
Augusta, Maine 04333-0011
Phone numbers for DHHS Fraud office are:
1-207-287-2409 and 1-800-442-6003
Further questions and suspicions can also be submitted by e-mail.
Fraud.Dhhs@maine.gov
For Additional Fraud, Attempted or Suspected,
Contact the Office of the Attorney General
Phone: 207-626-8800
Mailing Address:
Office of the Attorney General
6 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333
http://www.maine.gov/ag/contact.html
Do All three, Phone, E-mail and send a Letter.
Follow-up in 30 days with a Certified letter if no response.
Send a letter Directly to the Governor’s Office, that should get their attention.
Keep a written log of actions and attempts to notify.
Hold them Responsible!
Spy on your nieghbor,
Thats what the Nazis Promoted!
there are enough bums out there who are able to work without picking on the handycaped the biggest percentage of welfare is women who keep iresponsibly haveing kids with all different fathers if you cant aford them dont have them its welfare raiseing welfare and moast of them spend there money on drugs
What?????
And Lepage wants to cut out a month of public schooling.
I want to see Bruce Peliquins name in a docket under Tree Farm Tax Fraud for State Treasurer’s!
Spy on your nieghbor,
Thats what the Nazis Promoted!
If someone doesn’t drive, they say they cant work because they cant get reliable transportation.
If they need to renew their foodstamps, they suddenly have reliable transportation.