Bellingham woman allegedly collects thousands in benefits using fraudulent reports
A Bellingham woman is suspected of fraudulently receiving in excess of $10,000 in overpaid benefits the past two years after she allegedly failed to report to the Washington State Department of of Social and Health Services that she was living with the father of one of her children.
Whatcom County Jail records show Morgan Brookes Benjamin, 26, was booked and released on Friday, June 26, on suspicion of first-degree theft, forgery and false verification. Whatcom County Superior Court documents show a summons was issued April 17 for Benjamin to appear in court on Friday.
Benjamin has been known to the Department of Social and Health Services since August 2012, court documents state. She has received medical, food and child care assistance, and filled out and signed department applications, mid-certification reviews and eligibility reviews while receiving assistance and has had interviews where her rights and responsibilities were discussed.
On July 3, 2017, Benjamin submitted a signed, self-reported Department of Social and Health Services eligibility form, reporting her Bellingham address and that her household included only herself and her children, according to documents. She also reported that Laramie Lee was living with her as a roommate and that he was sharing half the rent with her.
She reportedly submitted similar information about her household on Jan. 10 and July 9, 2018, and again on Jan 7, 2019.
On July 5, 2018, Benjamin called to report that Lee had moved out, court documents state, and four days later she submitted a hand-written letter from someone who identified themselves as Lee’s brother and stating that Lee was living with him in Everson.
On April 10, 2019, investigators visited the apartment complex Benjamin lived and learned that both Benjamin and Lee reportedly had lived together since 2016. Lease agreements for the apartment were signed by Benjamin and Lee, and Department of Licensing information showed that Lee registered vehicles to that address and one vehicle was registered in both their names, documents state.
On May 8, 2019, investigators contacted Lee’s brother, who said Lee had not lived with him in some time and denied writing a letter stating otherwise, according to documents.
A day earlier, Benjamin voluntarily appeared for an interview with investigators and admitted to omitting Lee from the members of her household, saying she did not know she had to include him, documents state. She also said that Lee was the father of her youngest child and reportedly said she did not report that she was living with the parent of her child because nobody ever asked about it.
A review of payments showed that Benjamin received more than $10,000 in overpaid benefits after not accurately reporting the members of her household, documents state.
According to the Department of Social and Health Services Office of Fraud an Accountability website, in 2016 investigators were able to identify more than $5.5 million in over payments and courts ordered more than $1.37 million in restitution based on cases that were investigated.
