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I challenge anyone to show me a welfare mother driving a BMW! This is just the same old tired arguement from those who feel that any type of social safety net is their $$ being spent for "lowlifes". Are there crooks? Sure...just like on Wall Street. You steal; you should be in jail.
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11/02/2006 03:13 PM ID: 58062 Permalink
Judge Allows Convicted Welfare Fraud to Keep Mercedes
Massachusetts: A judge has allowed a woman convicted of welfare fraud to keep a Mercedes SUV. The vehicle is leased and the dealership refused to cancel the lease unless she paid several thousand dollars in fees.
The judge ruled that forcing the woman to return the vehicle and pay the fees would make it less likely that she would make restitution for her criminal actions.
The woman, Jennifer Stevanovich, was convicted after she stole $14,422 worth of lingerie from Victoria's Secret and sold it on eBay. She is paying that debt off at $100 per month.
Ask and you shall receive. If you think there aren't others like her out there then you should get your head out of the sand. In my line of work we are routinely in "ghettos" and many of these people drive nicer cars, better a/v equipment etc than the average person.
Here is another more detailed story about her:
http://wizbangblog.com/content/2006/...ecret-no-m.php
Jennifer's Secret a secret no more
Posted by Jay Tea
Published: May 25, 2006 - 2:00 PM
Back in the 80's, Ronald Reagan used to tell the apocryphal story of the "welfare queens" who would pull up in Cadillacs to collect their monthly checks. Once more, we find that the Gipper was a true visionary, because in Andover, Massachusetts, that is pretty much what was happening.
According to police reports, Jennifer Stevanovich was living the high life. She banked over $280,000 over five years, bought a Range Rover, and leased a Mercedes SUV while living in a gated community in Andover.
At the same time, she reported her income as maybe a few thousand a year, far less than she needed to support herself and her two children. Accordingly, the state gave her over the same time frame $117,000 in "assistance."
One can't blame her for underreporting her income -- she allegedly made all that money shoplifting. She would steal lingerie from Victoria's Secret and other places, carrying it out in foil-lined bags to defeat security measures, and sell it on EBay and through other outlets.
She was finally busted not by state officials, but by officials of Victoria's Secret's parent company, who noticed that one seller was offering a LOT of their merchandise for sale. They set up a "sting" operation, then turned the information to police.
Well, this week Ms. Stevanovich was brought to justice. And the sentence? Restitution and 15 years probation. No jail time, said Judge Peter Agnes, who said the state has already spent enough money on her.
I'm not a Massachusetts resident (thank god), but if I were, I'd disagree with the judge. I would consider locking her up for a good, long time money well spent.
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