A Farmington woman was arrested Friday after an investigation revealed she unlawfully collected tens of thousands of dollars in public assistance benefits.
Melissa Pearce, 50, was taken into custody at the Ontario County Department of Social Services on April 25 at 5:19 p.m., according to a press release from the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office. Pearce faces three counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, one count of welfare fraud in the third degree, and one count of grand larceny in the third degree.
The investigation, conducted by Ontario County Sheriff’s Investigator A. Colburn, followed a fraud referral made to the Department of Social Services. Authorities allege Pearce failed to disclose both her marital status and her spouse’s income when applying for benefits. As a result, she received $35,462.42 more in benefits than she would have otherwise been eligible for.
Pearce was arraigned at Ontario County CAP Court and is scheduled to appear at Hopewell Town Court on May 13.
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