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NEWS RELEASE
Office of Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
| February 15, 2002 |
Media Inquiries: Sean Caine 410-576-6357 |
FORMER WELFARE WORKERS SENTENCED FOR
STEALING WELFARE BENEFITS
Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today the sentencing
of two former Baltimore City welfare workers, Karen Dailey, 38, and Katrina
Richardson McCoy, 30, for stealing over $3,000 in welfare benefits. The
Honorable Thomas Ward sentenced the pair to a three-year suspended sentence,
three years probation and restitution in the amount of $3,202.57, before
staying the entry of judgment and imposing probation before judgment.
In anticipation of sentencing, Judge Ward ordered Dailey to report to
community service, where she logged 55 hours.
Dailey, of the 400 block of North Athol Avenue in Baltimore, and McCoy,
of the 4000 block of Parkton Street in Baltimore, had earlier pleaded
guilty to welfare fraud and conspiracy, before Judge Ward in the Baltimore
City Circuit Court. In their pleas, they admitted that between June, 1999
and April, 2000, they stole $3,202.57 in cash and food stamp benefits.
McCoy, an 11-year State employee, worked in the Electronic Benefits Transaction
System Unit for the Department of Social Services at Mondawmin Mall during
the time in question. One of her job functions required her to train new
welfare recipients in the use of the EBT cards to withdraw their benefits
from area Automated Teller Machines. Dailey worked as a receptionist at
the Mondawmin Mall DSS facility before being transferred to the Clifton
DSS office, where she worked as an Edit Reviewer.
McCoy and Dailey unlawfully accessed the benefit accounts of five welfare
recipients, changed the Personal Identification Number on their EBT cards,
and withdrew cash and food stamp benefits belonging to those recipients.
The matter was investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the
State Department of Human Resources, which referred the cases to the Attorney
General's Criminal Investigations Division for prosecution.
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