COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Gallia County couple has repaid nearly $20,000 in restitution after admitting they falsified applications to obtain food assistance benefits they were not eligible to receive, state officials said.
Garrett Fulk and Molly Smith pleaded guilty in November to two felony counts each of illegal use of food stamps or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program benefits. In sentencing, Gallia County Common Pleas Court ordered the pair to pay $19,846 in restitution to the Gallia County Department of Job and Family Services, along with court costs and $1,000 fines.
An investigation by the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office determined that Fulk and Smith submitted false information on applications to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits over several years, according to the Ohio Auditor of State.
The court reserved prison sentences of up to 18 months on each count, contingent on the defendants’ successful completion of community control and compliance with other sentencing conditions.
The case was prosecuted by an attorney from the Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit, who served as special prosecutor.