Press release:
Christina Hietala-Johnson, age 35, of Rochester, was sentenced to five years’ probation in Genesee County Court on Thursday (Jan. 11) as a result of her guilty plea last October to a felony count of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree.
In addition, Hietala-Johnson was also ordered to pay $2,245 in restitution to the Genesee County Department of Social Services, will be disqualified from receiving Food Stamp benefits and Temporary Assistance benefits, and must perform 500 hours of community service.
Hietala-Johnson had been charged in June 2017 with two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree and one count of grand larceny in the fourth degree. Those charges were filed when a social services investigation revealed she had submitted various recertification forms to the Department of Social Services and failed to report that she was married.
Anyone wishing to report suspected cases of Welfare Fraud in Genesee County can contact the Genesee County Department of Social Services Fraud Investigation Unit at (585)344-2580, ext. 6417 or 6416. All calls are confidential.
