Instances of possible fraud in the Atlantic County Welfare Office have been forwarded to the prosecutor, county Executive Dennis Levinson said Thursday.
“We feel that there are some things we found to be questionable activities,” he told BreakingAC. “There were some people who tried to game the system, and we caught them.”
He would not name the employees involved nor comment on whether they are still working or have been put on suspension while the investigation is going on.
“We assume people are innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “There’s not a whole lot I can say. (The investigation) is still in its infancy.”
The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office has received the paperwork, he said. That office has not commented.
The problems were uncovered as part of normal investigation that is done, he said.
“We’re constantly checking to make sure that the public is not being ripped off,” Levinson said. “We have quite a few people that are in need and we have a finite amount of resources.”
Levinson said they will prosecute anyone found breaking the law.
Prosecuting workers is easier than going after clients, he said.
“What if you find a single mother gaming the system?” he asked “Does it benefit the child by putting her in jail?”
Levinson said it’s good for the public to know that the county is making sure these things are caught and handled, and it can also act as a deterrent to others.
“We will find any fraud whether inside or outside,” he said.
