NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- A Clarksville woman was recently sentenced to 1.5 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to fraudulently receiving federal assistance for housing, food, medical and social security.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana, 42-year-old Willie Watts pleaded guilty to stealing federal benefits from the Section 8 Housing Voucher, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and Social Security programs from 2014 to 2021.
After her prison time, Watts will serve three years of supervised release, according to officials.
To qualify for the programs, officials said in the release that she lied, telling officials that one or more of her children was living with her and needed services. All three of Watts' children were living with other family members at the time.
The release said that Watts also made false statements about her income and her assets. Watts did not tell officials she owned a home in Jeffersonville or she was receiving rental income from tenants. In total, Watts received $125,753.90 in federal benefits from the state of Indiana.
Officials said that Watts reportedly engaged in a similar scheme in Kentucky in 2016. The release said that Watts was convicted in 2018 after she reportedly stole more than $30,000 from government assistance programs.
“Hard-working families and financially vulnerable children often are supported by federal programs at times of financial crisis,” Zachary A. Myers, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, said in the release. “Undeterred by prior felony convictions for the same conduct, this defendant chose to seal over $125,000 in public money from eligible recipients in need. The federal prison sentence here demonstrates that the Department of Justice will work closely with our partners in federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify criminals who defraud public programs and hold them accountable.”