BRIEF Former Centreville woman gets 2-year sentence in welfare fraud case

Jul. 4, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- A former Centreville woman has been sentenced to two years in prison for welfare fraud in St. Clair County.

Agnes R. Davis, of Jonesboro, Ark., was sentenced Wednesday for lying to the Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Veteran's Affairs, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Davis pleaded guilty in October for the offenses that occurred from March 2001 to April 2006. She admitted to concealing her husband's presence in her household in order to obtain Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled and to filing false food stamp applications. Also, she fraudulently collected $5,279 in VA benefits intended for her husband.

At the time of her plea, Davis agreed to repay the food stamp program $22,188.

The Social Security Administration estimated losses as a result of Davis' conduct to be $33,855. Davis will have supervised release for three years and will be required to make restitution payments to the agencies she defrauded.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0023-26442241