Colin and Andrea Chisolm don’t
seem like typical welfare recipients. Court documents state that he
is the former chief executive officer of a company and she a
pedigree dog breeder. They allegedly drove a Lexus and lived on a
million-dollar yacht off the coast of Florida. Minnesota
prosecutors found it fishy that the Chisolms were apparently also
collecting thousands in public assistance.
CBS
reported on Monday:
According to the criminal complaints, over the years, the
Chisholms received medical assistance, welfare payments and food
stamp benefits. They also lied about where they were living, who
they were living with and their source of income on more than a
dozen forms they filled out for the state of Minnesota and Hennepin
County in order to get the assistance.When they first applied for welfare benefits, the couple listed
their residence as Andrea’s mother’s home in Minneapolis, when they
really owned a luxury home in Deephaven. However, shortly
after getting approved for benefits, they moved to Florida. They
remained in that state for at least 28 months, first on their $1.2
million yacht, and then moving to a house, officials said. They
collected welfare from Florida, as well as Minnesota during that
time, which people are prohibited from receiving
simultaneously.
Prosecutors claim that this went on from 2005 until 2012 and
that the Chisolms siphoned $165,000. The couple is “charged with a
one count of wrongfully obtaining public assistance more than
$35,000, a felony,” according to Fox News.
Libertarians get a lot flak for expressing
skepticism about the welfare. They are assumed (or outright
accused) of hating the poor and wanting to take away their
means of survival. The case brought against the Chisolms does not
discredit honestly down-and-out people, but it is glaring reminder
of the system’s vulnerability to fraud.
Bonus: The Chisolms also apparently pretended to be British
aristocrats. It’s like they knew the plot of American
Hustle a decade in advance.
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