Alabama teacher accused of stealing food stamps
Published: October 31, 2009
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) - A Mobile County public school teacher is
accused of bilking the state out of about $12,000 in food stamps.
April LaDonna Bell, a 35-year-old chemistry teacher surrendered
Wednesday after a grand jury indicted her on a charge of
first-degree theft of property.
Mobile County Assistant District Attorney Geoff Alexander told
the Press-Register that the Alabama Department of Human Resources
alleges that Bell misrepresented her household’s makeup and total
income. That resulted in her receiving more benefits than she
deserved over a three-year period starting in 2005.
Jail records show Bell was released on $12,000 bail an hour
after she was booked.
Mobile County Public School System spokeswoman Nancy Pierce
declined to discuss any sanctions Bell might face if she’s
convicted.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
People lets not hang the women, yes I will agree that she broke the law, but the law doesn’t always take in account of what issues she may have had or have going on in here life, I know what its like to need help but because I make a few dollars more than what is call for I was decline help that still didn’t stop me from needing the help or the food. Many of you may not understand what its like to work and still be hungry or still need help making ends meet. She may have been in this very same place so lets not beat up on people till we know everything. A lot of these program go by your gross amount of money not what you are really living out of. for example for a family of three you can only make 1900 gross a month to get food stamp well we made 2200 gross but only brought home about 1800 so we were declined food stamps, neither do they take in account that people have health issues and have special foods they have to eat which cost more than non-health food so this can make people. There are many reasons why people lie or do under handed things. Lets think the whole thing through first please before we say someone is guilty or not or think how bad some is for doing this. Put yourself in their shoes and your family needs to eat or need lights, gas or just plan trying to survive.
Have to wonder about people who convict other people BEFORE a trial. Have you all hung her yet or are you going to wait until a few more people convict her without the trial? Just getcha a linch mob going on???? Or have all you bothered to read the Constitution? THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTION. Or did I log onto a site from Afganistan?
You are right on point, zebamite, That’s exactly why it’s so sick I have known people to brag about getting food stamps by fraud. Makes the ones that are honest look bad for something a idiot like her and others do.
Yes it is terrible that people lie to get Government benefits. But she is not the only one, she just happened to get caught. Probably 1/3 of people that get assistance don’t even need it.
That’s really SICK! Just sick…
Advertisement