Jamie Faye Cobat, Welfare Fraud, Oregon 2017

A local woman’s scheme to swindle the government out of nearly $30,000 in welfare benefits has ended in conviction.

Jurors found Jamie Faye Cobat, 52, of Lebanon, Oregon, guilty of wire fraud and theft on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

The case against Cobat unfolded after social workers received allegations in 2014 that her teenage son could no longer live with her due to her living arrangement with a convicted sex offender.

An investigation revealed that Cobat had been making false claims about her household composition and resources, including telling the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Oregon Department of Human Services (Oregon DHS) that her son was living with her.

However, it was discovered that Cobat’s son had not lived with her for more than two years, and that she had actually been living with her partner at his home in Lebanon since August 2012.

Cobat’s scheme allowed her to receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits totaling $29,000 between August 2012 and November 2014.

The benefits included $19,247 in SSI, $5,825 in SNAP (commonly referred to as food stamps), and $2,845 in TANF benefits.

Cobat faces sentencing on July 13, 2017, before United States District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman.

The case was investigated by the SSA Office of Inspector General and Oregon DHS, and prosecuted by Helen Cooper and Gavin Bruce, Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Oregon.