FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — A Franklin woman is facing felony fraud charges after a State Inspector General’s investigation found that she allegedly underreported her employment hours so that she could remain on public assistance.

Court documents indicate the Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General filed criminal charges against 23-year-old Mariah Jane McDivitt, of Franklin.

According to a criminal complaint, an Agent for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Office of Inspector General verified through an interview with the caseworker, who was actively administering this case, that Mariah Jane McDivitt was employed with Public Partnerships, LLC and underreported wage and hours worked from January 2016 through August 2016.

A referral was made to the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General (OIG) to investigate for fraud. The OIG investigation revealed that McDivitt willfully failed to report accurate wage and hour information to the Venango County Assistance Office Caseworker, and on the Semi-Annual Reporting Form, dated June 7, 2016, that she was working more than 20 hours per week, the complaint states.

The wages began January 2016 and continued uninterrupted through August 2016. The hours worked and wages received would have negatively affected her eligibility for Medical Assistance Benefits from January 1, 2016, through August 31, 2016, according to the complaint.

The complaint indicates that McDivitt signed Public Assistance Application Rights and Responsibilities Statements on June 10, 2015, December 18, 2015, and June 7, 2016 acknowledging she understood her rights and responsibility to report all changes in circumstance to the Department of Human Services, and confirming that all information reported is true and correct under penalty of law. These rights and responsibilities were also reviewed with (her) by the Department of Human Service Caseworker who can testify the defendant understood them.

Payroll documents verified the dates of employment and wages. Certified Medical Assistance Transcripts verified the amount of benefits received during the overpayment period. Additional information was verified by matching birthdate, Social Security number, etc., and indicated that McDivitt knowingly withheld information from the Department of Human Services in order to fraudulently obtain $3,284.56 in Medical Benefits that she was not eligible from January 1, 2016, continuing through August 31, 2016.

McDivitt was arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 29, in Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland’s office on a third-degree felony charge of Fraud in Obtaining Foodstamps/Assistance.

McDivitt is currently free on $5,000.00 unsecured bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4, with Judge Kirtland presiding.