How NOT to fund the cruising kitty: Welfare Fraud

[Cormorant]

http://news.yahoo.com/couple-u-lived...224125586.html

Couple in U.S. lived on yacht, collected welfare: prosecutor

By Kevin Murphy
(Reuters) - A couple who collected food stamps and other public assistance from Minnesota while living on a yacht in Florida were being sought on fraud charges, prosecutors said on Friday.
Colin Chisholm III and his wife, Andrea Chisholm, accepted more than $165,000 in public assistance between 2005 and 2012 before benefits were terminated, according to prosecutor Mike Freeman in Hennepin County, Minnesota.
Charges against Colin Chisholm were filed in February but they were kept sealed while police searched for the couple, Chuck Laszewski, a spokesman for Freeman, said on Friday. "They know by now we are looking for them."
The Chisholms are each charged with a felony count of wrongfully obtaining public assistance in excess of $35,000, the highest threshold under Minnesota law. Andrea Chisholm was charged on Thursday.
They bought a $1.2 million yacht, The Andrea Aras, in 2005 shortly after applying for welfare benefits in Minnesota, according to complaints against them. They have been accused of living on the yacht in the area of Palm Beach, Florida, for 28 months while lying about living in Minnesota.
Colin Chisholm was the chief executive officer of a satellite television and broadband services company, his wife bred and sold championship dogs, and over a seven-year period the couple deposited more than $2.6 million in bank accounts they did not report on applications for welfare benefits, according to the complaint.
They have lived in luxury homes in suburban Minneapolis, driven a $30,000 Lexus and also collected welfare benefits in Florida, the complaint said.

[Roy M]

How's this for making money while cruising: tracking down these folks and collecting a reward?

[Tellie]

"They bought a $1.2 million yacht"

I'd be on welfare too!

[Pete7]

Gosh, the US welfare system is generous

[SaltyMonkey]

Wow the AH quotient on CEOs can just go so high.

[shorebird]

Why would anyone with financial resources like they had, cheat and steal, and end up in jail? I've never been able to understand the mentality. Don't you ever look in the mirror, and ask yourself, "do I like what I see?"

[SV THIRD DAY]

This type of thing is much more common than you think.
We knew several cruisers in Mexico that were cruising on long term 99-week Unemplyment checks, or on "disability" while single handing a 40ft boat.

[shorebird]

Yeah, I remember a guy years ago bragging to my dad about how he and his wife were both working, and both collecting welfare as "single" people. he was laughing as he told us of his "extra" income.
Memo to welfare cheats:
When ripping off the taxpayer, don't brag about it....to a taxpayer. A phone call ended his little scheme. Sigh.

[a64pilot]

There are an enormous number of "disabled" people running around South Georgia driving new Mercedes and Lexus, You see them get out and there is obviously nothing disabled about them. Obvious fraud, but apparently un-protested
If this continues, It will break the bank, and genuinely disabled will have nothing

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by shorebird

Why would anyone with financial resources like they had, cheat and steal, and end up in jail? I've never been able to understand the mentality. Don't you ever look in the mirror, and ask yourself, "do I like what I see?"

It's just pure greed, nothing else. I work for someone like that, doesn't matter what the production rate is, or the profit margin, it's never enough. He rides management so hard it's shortening their life spans, but usually never works more than a four day week himself, and is often on vacation. Then obviously cheats whenever he can to get around taxes etc.
Is considered a "good business man" and is admired by many.

[mausgras]

Welfare cheats are a world wide problem. They are found in all the countries with a welfare safety net. But they are a minority and a decent welfare system for the genuine needy is a hallmark of a progressive and caring society.
It therefore disappoints me every time a scammer is exposed there are media howls for "something to be done".

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[MBLittle]

People need to reevaluate how they throw the word "disabled" around.

My wife collects disability from the VA for PTSD from overseas duty. Yet you'd see her handling a 40' boat...

Are there cheats and liars? For sure. Its not exclusive to the US or even to "disabled" people.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by mausgras

Welfare cheats are a world wide problem. They are found in all the countries with a welfare safety net. But they are a minority and a decent welfare system for the genuine needy is a hallmark of a progressive and caring society.
It therefore disappoints me every time a scammer is exposed there are media howls for "something to be done".

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

The something that needs to be done is to expose and prosecute the cheats. Used to be that people that were drawing dis-ability and were not dis-abled were prosecuted, now that is not the case, dis-ability is considered another entitlement for those that chose to not work, at least down here that is the case.
I thank God that I have never had to be on public assistance, but freely admit that is more luck than anything else, that in fact I may need that assistance one day.
But, I want it to be available for me if I ever need it, I don't want it to be squandered away

[denverd0n]

Not really sure why people would object to this method of funding the cruising kitty. We pretty regularly have postings on here that advise people on other ways to violate the laws. Whether it be how to work "off the books," how to avoid checking in with customs, how to evade taxes, or how Americans can travel to Cuba without getting caught. These people just found a bit different way to enjoy cruising while living as criminals. What's wrong with that?

(By the way, that was sarcasm, for those who have trouble recognizing it.)

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by shorebird

Why would anyone with financial resources like they had, cheat and steal, and end up in jail? I've never been able to understand the mentality. Don't you ever look in the mirror, and ask yourself, "do I like what I see?"

If you have no moral sense, I suspect that is not a big problem.

Many people feel they have been wronged by some anonymous "they," often as not identified as the government, and feel nothing about stealing it back from "they." Taxes are one starting place of this delusion.