BRUNSWICK
A 40-year-old Brunswick woman convicted of stealing nearly $60,000 in food stamps and child care reimbursement benefits will serve at least 13 months in Cumberland County Jail and pay restitution for the improperly received benefits.
Sarah E. Fairbanks, of 467 Durham Road, was sentenced Monday to five years in prison with all but 13 months suspended followed by three years of probation. Fairbanks also must pay restitution of $59,816.38 in Cumberland County Superior Court, according to a press release issued by Maine Attorney General William J. Schneider.
On Nov. 30, at the conclusion of a twoday trial, a jury found Fairbanks guilty of defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) and the Child Care Development Fund Voucher (CCDF) program during the period from January 2005 to May 2010.
Schneider issued a previous press release at the time of her conviction, stating that Fairbanks had stated she was separated from her husband and living alone with her children, which an investigation found to be untrue.
“In fact, Fairbanks was living with and receiving support from her husband. The income she reported was at least 70 percent lower than her actual household income,” the release from Schneider’s office states.
The jury convicted Fairbanks on one count of Class B theft and two counts of unsworn falsification, according to the Dec. 12 release.
The case was investigated by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit.
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