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Contact: Steve Lowe, 360-664-5767, steve.lowe@dshs.wa.gov
Contact: Kathy Spears, 360-902-7893, kathleen.spears@dshs.wa.gov
September 12, 2012
Rochester woman pleads guilty to defrauding state government

DATELINE – Sharon L. Stone, 45, of Rochester, pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving food and cash benefits from the Department of Social and Health Services and receiving benefits fraudulently from the Department of Labor & Industries.

She was sentenced on Aug. 28 in Thurston County Superior Court to eight months of home detention and ordered to pay $9,722 in restitution to DSHS and $60,065 to L&I.

The payments were made to her from May of 2005 to June, 2009.

Stone failed to report her marriage and her husband's employment and income, failed to report she was working for a nursing facility and receiving L&I benefits, using her mother’s Social Security number.

Stone was on probation for a previous welfare fraud conviction in Snohomish County in March, 1996, when she failed to report employment and earnings.

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