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scratchycat
04-02-2014, 11:55 AM
Jail is not bad enough for this couple, they should have to do hard labor and pay back what they stole. So many people who actually NEED help from our government and cannot get it and these two have been living in luxury off of it.

Wealthy Couple Accused of Defrauding Welfare System | Corpus Christi, TX | KRISTV.com | (http://www.kristv.com/news/wealthy-couple-accused-of-defrauding-welfare-system/)

How could something like this happen and go undetected for so long?


Mar 27, 2014 12:19 PM
Wealthy Couple Accused of Defrauding Welfare System


MINNESOTA (KARE) - Felony charges were filed Friday against a sometime Minnesota couple for an egregious case of alleged welfare fraud.

The accused are Colin Chisholm III, 62, and Andrea Chisholm, 54.

The couple is charged with bilking Minnesota public assistance programs for more than $165,000 between January 2005 and March 2012.

When the Chisholms first applied for welfare, according to Hennin County Attorney Michael Freeman, they claimed to be living at 3202 Harriet Avenue South in Minneapolis.

Actually, they were living on a $1.4 million yacht in Florida.

READ MORE (http://www.kare11.com/story/news/crime/2014/03/21/welfare-fraud-minnesota-florida-chisholms-freeman/6708011/)

MINNEAPOLIS - Felony charges were filed Friday against a sometime Minnesota couple for an egregious case of alleged welfare fraud. The accused are Colin Chisholm III, 62, and Andrea Chisholm, 54.

The couple is charged with bilking Minnesota public assistance programs for more than $165,000 between January 2005 and March 2012. When the Chisholms first applied for welfare, according to Freeman, they claimed to be living at 3202 Harriet Avenue South in Minneapolis. Actually, they were living on a $1.4 million yacht in Florida.

"These rich folks ripped off the system," said Freeman. "I will assure you that this office is going to do every darn thing we can do to make sure these people do hard time."

The presumptive sentence for the crime upon conviction, for defendants with no prior criminal records, is probation. However, Freeman was adamant that he will seek an upward departure from sentencing guidelines.

The Chisholm's are not under arrest. Freeman said he believes they are out of the United States "someplace warm." There has been a warrant out for their arrest for six weeks, according to Freeman.

Freeman said his office is cooperating with Florida authorities. The Chisholms also allegedly took money illegally from Florida welfare programs. Freeman said they listed a Connecticut address at that time, which turned out to be a UPS store.

"Mr. Chisholm, in particular, is a con man of the first order," said Freeman. "He created all sorts of false companies. He claimed he was a Scottish heir ('Lord' Chisholm). 'Lady' Chisholm participated in these frauds and it is outrageous."

A picture of the couple on a pedigree dog website refers to them as "Colin and Lady Chisholm". Freeman said his investigators even attended pedigree dog shows hoping, in vain, to spot and arrest the couple.

"Basically, he is a flim-flam man," said Freeman, about the source of the Chisholm's 'wealth.' "Somehow he conned a bunch of people to put in all sorts of money. We could trace the bank accounts and over a million dollars when through the bank accounts."

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS??!!! I have had a hard time doing so.

scratchycat
04-02-2014, 12:05 PM
More stories of this fraud:

Many National Media Outlets Ignoring Couple Who Defrauded Two States For Seven Years | NewsBusters (http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2014/03/31/most-national-media-outlets-ignore-couple-who-defrauded-two-states-seven)

Report: Welfare cheats lived on Florida yacht | News To Me with George Mathis (http://blogs.ajc.com/news-to-me/2014/03/25/welfare-couple-lives-on-florida-yacht/)


Life was apparently good for the Chisholms, who also rented a $1.6 million home and had $3 million in various bank accounts.

Colin, 62, is reportedly the CEO of TCN Network, which claims to provide satellite TV and internet services to islands in the Caribbean.

Andrea, 54, owned a dog kennel which bred and sold championship dogs.

The couple filed for public assistance using the address of Andrea’s mother in Minnesota and said they only had $80 in the bank.

As soon as they went on the dole, they moved to Florida to live aboard the 83-foot boat they purchased in Fort Lauderdale. They collected welfare payments, food stamp benefits and medical assistance from Minnesota.

Then they filed for welfare in Florida and received it, despite it being illegal to get public assistance from more than one state.

The Chisolms later moved to a home in Florida, and then to a luxury home on Minnesota’s Lake Minnetonka, where $60,000 in medical claims were paid out for massages.

A neighbor described the couple as “the kindest people ever.”

A nationwide warrant is out for the Chisholms, whose whereabouts are currently unknown but are likely “someplace warm.” If you see them while yachting, please have your cabin boy call police.



Wealthy Couple Defraud Government More Than $167,000 in Welfare Checks - MaseTV- Real NOT Ratchet Urban Entertainment News (http://masetv.com/wealthy-couple-defraud-government-more-than-167000-in-welfare-checks/)

Freeman said “Lord and Lady Chisholm” had been cut off at one point but managed to get back into the welfare system.

If they’re convicted, the couple faces a maximum 20-year prison term and $100,000 fine, but the charge also carries the possibility of probation – although Freeman doubted a judge would allow them to avoid prison.

But first authorities must find the couple, who vacated their home and pulled their son from school. Investigators believe they’ve gone somewhere warm, if not out of the country entirely.

World Wide Watch, please help catch these criminals and bring them to justice!!

ribshaw
04-03-2014, 09:32 AM
This is an interesting book on the subject of the rich feasting off the taxpayer. While I find anyone stealing taxpayer money distasteful, when people of means do it is especially irritating.


http://www.amazon.com/Free-Lunch-Wealthiest-Themselves-Government/dp/1591842484/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396535045&sr=8-1&keywords=free+lunch

scratchycat
04-05-2014, 09:59 AM
Thanks for mentioning the book Ribshaw. It would probably raise my BP if I read of those involved. Maybe by publishing his book some people who can do something about it will.