Sen. Timilty Announces State Police Unit to Investigate Public Benefit Abuse and Fraud

Editor's note: The following press release was submitted for publication by Senator James Timilty's office.

Senator James Timilty (D-Walpole) announced the State Senate’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget proposal, unveiled this past Wednesday, would establish a Direct Benefit Fraud Unit within the State Police. Timilty represents Medfield in the state senate.

 “As the Senate chairman of the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee and a new member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, I am proud of this new initiative, which combines," said Timilty. "It will allow highly trained investigators with extensive knowledge of local communities and networks to use their unique skills in uncovering fraud and abuse of publicly funded benefits.”

The unit will be charged with working with local, state, and federal authorities to investigate and pursue cases where benefits, such as food and cash assistance programs, are being misused. In conjunction with this new initiative, the Senate also proposes $2 million to fund a new State Police class of 150. 

"Most importantly, we have a responsibility to protect taxpayer dollars by eliminating the egregious examples of EBT card fraud recently that have recently made headlines," said Timilty. "In addition, maintaining the integrity of public assistance programs means that responsible folks who truly need help – particularly during this time of high unemployment – have the opportunity to access these benefits as intended. Law enforcement will be valuable partners in identifying those responsible for coordinating and executing plans for the misuse of public money.”

The Senate is scheduled to debate the budget proposal next week.