Salinas couple plead guilty to felony welfare fraud

Two Salinas residents pleaded guilty Thursday to felony welfare fraud.

Between August 2013 and June 2014, 43-year-old Leticia Santana and 48-year-old Ulises Garcia were receiving CalFresh benefits and CalWorks benefits, saying they were unemployed and needed the benefits to support their children.

The Department of Social Services and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office investigated and found that Garcia was employed the whole time. They found that Santana and Garcia misrepresented the income to Social Services and on the reporting forms for the programs. Garcia’s income was above the level required to be eligible for any benefits. Investigators say the overpayment of benefits amounted to $12,120.

Garcia and Santana will be sentenced in August. Both are facing three years of felony probation, up to a year in jail and will have to pay back the overpayment to the Department of Social Services.

If you are aware of any welfare fraud, you are asked to call 831-755-3224.