By JULIE SHAW Philadelphia Daily News
The taxpayers’ money was to be used by low-income moms to feed their babies.
Instead, the federal funds were used by six scammers to feed their own greed, according to findings by a state grand jury.
Attorney General Tom Corbett yesterday announced the results of the investigating grand jury and the arrests of six Philadelphia residents charged with theft, conspiracy and related offenses.
The six are accused of stealing $375,000 from the state Department of Health’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
At the time, they worked at NORTH Inc., the nonprofit agency in Philadelphia that manages the distribution of WIC checks to low-income recipients in the city. The checks, or vouchers, are to be used at participating stores for specific food items – such as baby cereal, formula or peanut butter. They are not allowed to be exchanged for cash.
