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Three charged with illegally obtaining benefits

Three people were indicted by the McCreary County Grand Jury last week on charges brought against them by the Kentucky Office of the Inspector General for alleged abuse of the Medicare and SNAP programs by providing false information to illegally gain benefits.

The three cases were presented by Chris Knifley of the Office of Inspector General through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Christie Boyatt, of Strunk, was charged with False Statement/Misrepresent to Obtain Benefits over $100 for allegedly making a false statement or misrepresenting facts affecting eligibility for Medicare benefits and fraudulently obtaining $56,679 in Medicare benefits to which she was not entitled.

Boyatt is currently one of McCreary County’s Transport Officers, but according to Judge Executive Doug Stephens she has been suspended from duty pending the outcome of the case.

The other two cases involved Linda Slaven, of Whitley City, and Bradley Stephens, of Marshes Siding.

Slaven is charged with two counts of False Statement/Misrepresent to Obtain Benefits over $100 for allegedly knowingly and unlawfully making a false statement or misrepresenting facts to obtain $12,530 in Medicare benefits and $5,608 in SNAP benefits for which she was not entitled to.

Stephens was charged with one count of False Statement/Misrepresent to Obtain Benefits over $100 for allegedly making a false statement or misrepresenting facts affecting eligibility for SNAP benefits and illegally obtaining $7,690 in benefits.

Depending on the amount illegally obtained, the charged could be considered Class D or C felonies if a conviction is obtained.

Boyatt is the second McCreary County Transport Officer to be indicted by a Grand Jury in August. Wesley Stephens was indicted by a Leslie County Grand Jury earlier in August on a charge of Rape after reportedly the officer had sex with a female prisoner in his custody while on the way to the Leslie County Detention Center on January 4, 2017. Stephens’ arraignment was scheduled for this week in Leslie County Circuit Court.

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