Local News on WXHC.com is brought to you by:
A Cortland woman faces several felonies related to welfare fraud.
Investigators say 51-year-old Melissa Stacy, of Port Watson Street, earned herself nearly $3k in illegal benefits by lying about her income to the Cortland County Department of Social Services.
Specifically, she failed to disclose required income information to the county DSS from May 2020 through August of 2021; and also submitted fraudulent paperwork concerning her income in the months of September 2020 and August 2021.
In total, Stacy was issued benefits she was not entitled to in excess of $2,900.00.
She was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Cortland City Court on October 4.
Her list of charges includes:
- Welfare Fraud in the 4th Degree, class E felony
- Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree, class E felony
- Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the 1st Degree, class E felony (2 counts)
The arrest comes at the close of an investigation by DSS and the Cortland County Sheriff’s Office.
