Woman convicted of forgery, welfare crime must work with ICE
By Gretchen Schlosser
West Central Tribune - 12/17/2008

WILLMAR — Sara Yaneth Maldonado, 19, of Raymond was sentenced Monday in Kandiyohi County District Court to a year and a day in prison — which was stayed — $100 in fines and five years of probation on two felony charges for receiving public assistance while working under a false name.

As part of her sentence, Maldonado was ordered to pay $1,426.71 in restitution to Ka-ndiyohi Co-unty Family Services and serve 62 days in jail, with credit for 62 days served.

She was also ordered to cooperate with agents from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

As part of a plea agreement, seven additional felonies for aggravated forgery, check forgery, forgery and perjury were dismissed.

Maldonado is also known as Blanca Maria Pastrana Cruz. According to the complaint, she received public assistance from Kandiyohi County Family Services, beginning in 2005.

She reported that she worked odd jobs for cash in hand.

Maldonado is an illegal immigrant from Honduras, according to the complaint.

In May 2007 she was confronted by investigators about her employment with Jennie-O Foods. She denied working for the company.

Later, Family Services received an anonymous tip that Maldonado was working at Jennie-O under a false name.

She was interviewed again by investigators and admitted to working under the Cruz alias.

She said she didn’t report income out of concern she would lose her benefits.

The overpayment in benefits was $1,426.71 from April 1, 2007, to April 30, 2008.

The investigation revealed that she had signed employment documents with the false name and had used identification in that name to get the job.

From March to April 2008, she received six payroll checks in the Cruz name for $2,175.29.

Records also show Maldonado presented an application for a Minnesota ID card in the Cruz name in December 2006.

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