Prosecutor: Woman got more than $100-thousand in welfare benefits for nonexistent kids

A Pittsburgh woman has been jailed on charges she collected state welfare benefits for three children who don’t exist, including a period when she was living outside Pennsylvania.

The Allegheny County district attorney announced the charges Monday against 23-year-old Sabrina Strothers.

The prosecutor says Strothers’ cousin reported her to Pennsylvania officials in January.

Investigators later determined that Strothers claimed to give birth to three children in 2008 named Thomas, Tomalyia and Tyreik Wilson.

When investigators checked their Social Security numbers against government records, they determined the numbers belonged to people born in 1887, 1945 and 1960.

Strothers is accused of receiving nearly $130,000 in illegal benefits.

Online court records don’t list an attorney for her. She faces a preliminary hearing Dec. 22 on theft, forgery and welfare fraud counts.