14 DAY TRIAL // After the initial hype surrounding the birth of her completely healthy octuplets, Nadya Suleman, aka Octomom, became a tabloid fixture and one of the most vilified moms in showbiz because she has 6 other children at home, is a single parent with no source of income and lives on welfare.
Though she’s had several (more or less failed) attempts at making money, including posing for men’s magazines, giving interviews after interviews, and even doing adult movies, Octomom goes back on welfare with almost clock-like regularity.
TMZ is now reporting that she’s being investigated for potential fraud. If found guilty, she could go away for a while, behind bars.
“Octomom Nadya Suleman is under the microscope after a complaint was lodged that she committed welfare fraud... and if it's true Octo could go to prison,” the celebrity publication writes.
“Someone made the allegation last week to the LA County Dept. of Welfare Fraud Prevention and Investigation (WFP&I), claiming Octo is getting various forms of welfare, including food stamps, even though she made nearly $200,000 [€154,918] in 2012,” TMZ further says.
Most of that money went on debts she’d accumulated until then, word has it, but that still doesn’t justify lying about income just to get on welfare.
“Under California law, Octo can legitimately collect welfare for her and her 14 kids if she makes $119,000 [€92,176] or less in a calendar year, but if the allegation is true, she exceeded the limit by a lot,” the e-zine adds.
The investigation is now underway to determine whether that’s the case and, if the allegations are proved accurate, she will be prosecuted.
The sentence for this type of fraud is of upwards of 3 years in prison, TMZ mentions.
When she was less of the vilified woman she is today, Suleman talked about being on welfare, stressing it was only a temporary solution to her problem because she was embarrassed to be living on taxpayers’ money and wanted to provide for her huge brood all on her own.