Not Guilty Plea in Misappropriation Case
A former county welfare employee pleaded not guilty Wednesday to providing food stamps and cash to a relative who was not eligible for aid, officials said.
Georgina Martinez, 28, is charged with two felony counts each of misappropriating public funds and being an accessory to welfare fraud. Martinez, who was an eligibility technician with the Orange County Social Services Agency, has since been fired, officials said.
The district attorney’s office investigated the suspected misappropriation after it was allegedly discovered by social services officials. If convicted, Martinez faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
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