If only we had an ethics commission to train state employees about ethical behavior, I’m sure this would have never happened:
A former employee of the state Children, Youth and Families Department and several other Silver City-area residents have been accused of defrauding the state of more than half a million dollars.
Andrea Munoz, 34, allegedly received kickbacks from people who were fraudulently reimbursed for child care services never provided. The alleged scheme involved the department’s Child Care Program, which reimburses low-income parents for baby-sitting services.
Court documents allege 16 people admitted receiving checks from CYFD, cashing them and splitting the proceeds with Munoz between 2001 and 2006.
Romaine Serna, a spokeswoman for CYFD, said $574,000 was allegedly taken.
Serna said the scale of the alleged fraud is the largest the agency has encountered.
Yeah right. How about we just get rid of unnecessary government welfare programs that hand out checks? That would be a much better way of eliminating these situations. Every time the government doles out cash, the end result is fraud.