PHOENIX (AP) - State Rep. Cecilia Velasquez pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor charge of unlawful use of food stamps but faces no jail time when she is sentenced in December.
The 42-year-old Litchfield Park Democrat was indicted in June by a state grand jury on felony counts of fraud, theft and unlawful use of food stamps, but she later reached a plea agreement with state prosecutors that dropped the felony charges.
The indictment accused Velasquez of fraudulently obtaining $1,726 in food stamp benefits between Nov. 1, 2013 and Jan. 31, 2015.
People were interested in these podcasts
The plea deal calls for supervised probation and 100 hours of community service, plus a possible fine. She already repaid the money to the Department of Economic Security, said her attorney, Roy Herrera.
The DES inspector general launched an investigation in December 2014 after receiving a tip to a fraud hotline. Officials said when they announced the indictment that Velasquez falsely claimed she had two dependents, gave a false address and allowed two other people to use her food stamp benefit card.
Herrera said there only one dependent at issue, a daughter who Hernandez falsely claimed still lived with her. He declined to say whether he believed prosecutors overreached when they filed three felony charges but ultimately agreed to just a single misdemeanor.
“The question I would have is really more about the amount of resources that went into the investigation over a case that was essentially over $1,700 or so,” Herrera said. “But at the same time, Ms. Velasquez did accept the plea and believes that this is the appropriate outcome for the case. “
Velasquez is serving her first term in the Arizona House. That term ends in January, and she dropped her re-election bid after being indicted.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.