A Summit Township woman is accused of felony and misdemeanor welfare fraud for falsely claiming nearly $10,000 in public assistance.

The state Inspector General's office last week charged 59-year-old Dianamarie Ford with fraudulently collecting $7,342.16 in Medical Assistance Program benefits and $2,387 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, formerly known as food stamps.

Authorities said the defendant was not entitled to the benefits that she collected between Feb. 1 and Oct. 31, 2016, because she failed to report household income to the state Department of Human Services.

According to charging documents filed Oct. 30, the defendant's husband at the time was employed by the Butler County Memorial Park.

“The employment,” according to Ford's criminal complaint, “would have negatively affected her household's eligibility for SNAP benefits and Medical Assistance Benefits.”

She is charged with fraudulent obtainment of Medical Assistance, a third-degree felony and fraudulent obtainment of SNAP, a first-degree misdemeanor.

If convicted of the most serious charge, the maximum penalty she could face is seven years in prison and a fine of $15,000, plus a mandatory disqualification period from the benefits program defrauded.

Ford is scheduled to appear for her formal arraignment on Nov. 20 at the office of District Judge William Fullerton in Butler.