Posted on: Wednesday, July 31, 2002

Trial date set for Wai'anae pair in welfare fraud

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

Two Wai'anae residents who were charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $20,300 in welfare benefits between 1994 and 2001 will go to trial on Sept. 16, state Attorney General Anzai said.

On June 19, an O'ahu grand jury indicted Charity Willing, 30, and George Joseph K. Willing Jr., 32, on theft charges, Anzai said.

During the fiscal year that ended June 30, authorities prosecuted 112 people for welfare fraud involving the theft of public assistance benefits having a value of more than $2.23 million, Anzai said.

During the same time period, 806 additional people received administrative sanctions, including the termination of public assistance benefits. Those cases involved an additional $868,000 in public assistance benefits that the recipients were not lawfully entitled to receive, Anzai said.

Anyone having information regarding possible welfare fraud should call the Welfare Fraud Hotline at 587-8444.